ough the long dew-laden grass in the direction of the
ship-yard.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

DOOMED TO DIE.

The story told by little Lucille relative to the first appearance of the
Malays was so graphic and accurate up to the point of Gaunt's capture,
that little or no addition is needed to complete it. The shell-
gatherers had been most successful in their quest, and returning to Fay
Island laden with their delicate and beautiful spoils, were about half-
way across the stream--which, it will be remembered, was of considerable
width at the point where they would have to cross--when the proa
suddenly hove in sight round a bend of the channel. There was only one
possible explanation of the reason why Gaunt had not seen her in ample
time to avoid capture, and that was that whilst he had been busy with
the children on the eastern beach, the proa must have been approaching
from the westward, which would cause her to be hidden from view by the
intervening high land. By what means, however, her crew had discovered
the entrance to the harbour must remain a mystery; probably it was the
result of pure accident, for--as has already been mentioned--it was so
artfully concealed that even Gaunt himself, when voyaging to and fro in
the raft during the earlier period of his sojourn upon the island, had
upon more than one occasion been puzzled to find it.

Be this as it may, the moment of the proa's arrival in the river was a
most unfortunate one for the occupants of the punt, who were seen and
chased by the Malays the moment that their vessel rounded the point.
Gaunt at once saw that escape for himself as well as for the children
was impossible; he was as near Fay Island as he was to the main, and in
whichever direction he headed he must inevitably be overtaken before he
could make good his retreat, and with his usual promptitude he at once
decided to continue his course for the islet, hoping to be able to make
a sufficiently long stand against the enemy to permit of the children
gaining the safe refuge of the fort. He was hailed as soon as seen;
but, of course, the only notice he took of this was to urge the clumsy,
heavy punt with redoubled speed through the water. Finding him so
contumacious, the Malays then fired upon him several times, and
succeeded in slightly wounding him in the head. As the proa advanced
further up the stream, and drew closer and closer still in under the lee
of the high land, the wind grew light and shy