ate with very ill grace.

"I consider it worse than murder to leave me on that reef, or any of
these rocks, Mr. Dawbin. Since I understand your intention, I might as
well put a bullet through my own head, and save myself from all the
suffering in store for me," said Christy, assuming the manner of one
rendered desperate by his situation. "Have you a revolver in your
pocket?"

"I have not a revolver in my pocket; and if I had I should not lend it
to you to shoot yourself," replied the mate.

Mr. Dawbin had no revolver in his pocket, and that was all the prisoner
had been driving at. He was equally confident that neither of the
sailors was armed, for he had looked them over to see if there was any
appearance of pistols in their pockets.

"You are making altogether too much fuss over this little matter, Mr.
Passford. The captain desires you to remain on one of these rocks till
he gets through his business with the commander of that steamer in the
channel, which is now headed for the Snapper," the mate explained. "When
that is finished we will take you off and proceed on our voyage."

"You had better put a bullet through my head."

"I don't think so. It is no great hardship for you to stay a few hours
on that rock. You have had your dinner, and you will not starve to
death. I don't think you will have to stay there long, for that steamer
draws too much water to come in among these reefs, and she will be hard
and fast on one of the shoals before she goes much farther."

"Possibly her captain knows what he is about as well as you do,"
suggested Christy.

"I don't believe he does. There isn't a fathom of water on some of these
shoals."

But the Chateaugay kept on her course, though she proceeded very slowly.
When she was off the Gingerbread Cay she stopped her screw, and she was
near enough for the observer to see that she was lowering at least two
boats into the water. In a few minutes more they were seen pulling
towards the Snapper, whose boat was now very near the reef which had
been selected as the prisoner's abiding-place. A few minutes later the
keel ground on the coral rock.

"Jump ashore, both of you, and take the painter with you, my men," said
the mate, when the boat stuck about six feet from the top of the ledge.

The two sailors waded to the highest part of the reef, and began to haul
in on the painter; but they could not get it anything less than three
feet from the rock.

"We can't get the boat any