."

"All right," said the mate, relenting somewhat. "And, mind you, don't
you go to talking to Sanders about it. Don't you tell him another
thing, and never mention the word pearls."

"I won't--I won't!" was the meek rejoinder of poor Captain Bergen, who
had been completely cowed by the fierceness of his mate.

"I'm an awful man when my wrath is roused!" Abe Storms thought it best
to add; "and it was just rising to the boiling-point when you were
lucky enough to take back your foolish expression."

"What are we going to do now?" asked the captain, apparently anxious
to turn the current of conversation into a more agreeable channel.

"We'll go back and make ready to leave on the proa. We have
considerable to do before we depart. There are a number of things in
the cabin that we must carry with us."

"Yes, that's so; I forgot that. But, Abe--don't you get mad!--what
about them?"

"Just never you mind," replied the mate with an important wave of the
hand. "I'll attend to them."

"All right. I was afraid you would forget 'em!"

It pained Storms to tyrannize over his superior officer in this
fashion, but stern necessity compelled him to become the real captain.
The intention of the mate when he first followed his friend was to dig
up the pearls and give him his share, but he saw that that would never
do. It would precipitate a tragedy to allow the lunatic any option in
the matter. So, without any further reference to the pearls, the two
rose to their feet and walked slowly back in the direction of the
proa, talking on no particular subject, since the mate was desirous of
diverting the mind of the captain as much as possible.

The discoveries of the next few minutes did not serve to lighten the
apprehension of Storms, for when he reached the proa the two islanders
seemed to be enjoying a siesta, while neither Fred Sanders nor Inez
was in sight.

Suspecting what was wanted, one of the natives roused up and pointed
toward the sea, jabbering some odd words, which could not be
understood, but which Storms concluded were meant to indicate the
direction taken by the couple.

"That's almost the path to the spot where we were," he thought, as he
turned and walked away, holding the arm of the captain within his
own.

Sure enough, they had not gone far when they caught sight of Fred and
Inez sitting on the beach, just as if they were at some fashionable
seaside resort in summer time, and were chattering no particular s