steer, with his long black hair and
ugly mug, and the cut across his hid which the cap'en giv him wid the
butt end of his pistol! The murtherin' villin! won't I be aven wid him
if iver he comes ashore, and pay him out--bad cess to him!"

"Are you sure," said Mr Meldrum, "that it is the long-boat?"

"As sartin as there's mud in a ditch, son--the divil a doubt of it!"

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

A TERRIBLE TALE!

By this time, the news having rapidly spread amongst the little
community that the longboat was in sight, every one--save of course poor
Captain Dinks, who could not yet move--had come out of the house.

The castaways were gathered together in little groups, some near Mr
Meldrum and the first-mate, who stood by the flagstaff, others along the
ridge which ran from thence above the beach, and the remainder on the
shore; but all were intent on one object, and looking down the bay at
the little speck in the distance that was said to be the boat, which was
steadily making its way towards the creek. The tide was on the ebb and
against its onward progress, although the wind was in its favour, so it
approached only very slowly.

Mr Meldrum's first intention on having his suspicions confirmed by the
mate's opinion, had been to haul down the flag--a little white ensign
made out of portions of some old silk handkerchiefs which had been
mustered amongst the party and sewn together by Kate; but, he dismissed
the idea as soon as the thought occurred to him.

"No," said he to Mr McCarthy, belaying the halliards again, "it is too
late now, for they must have seen it. Besides, what have we to fear if
they do come? We can easily prevent them from landing, if we like, for
we're nearly two to one against them in numbers should they try force;
and we are stronger by far in moral as well as physical courage!"

"True for you, sorr," replied the first-mate. "It's a good larrupping
they'd git, if they thried that on anyway. Bedad, I'd die aisy an' I
could only give that baste Moody the bating I've had in store for him
since he and his gang abandoned us, the dhirty schoundrels!"

"We must forget the past, considering we've been so mercifully
preserved," said Mr Meldrum. "Perhaps it was all for the best that we
were not able to leave the ship when they did."

"Maybe; but faix, they didn't have the dacency to ax us!"

"Well, we'll see what they have to say for themselves when we've a
chance of speaking to them," said Mr M