doubt they
suspect the truth."

"I am sure of that. Hello!"

Mr. Storms had hold of the steering-oar, and Fred was sitting close to
him when he uttered the last exclamation, and, springing forward,
hastily drew his pistol, took a quick aim and fired.

A frenzied howl followed, and one of the crew made a furious plunge
far out into the sea, and, going down like a log, never came up
again.

"Over with you, too!" shouted Sanders, in their native tongue, his
eyes flashing; "not an instant, or I'll shoot!"

The savage did not hesitate, with his knife clenched in his hand, and
the young captain leveled his pistol at him.

The sight of the muzzle so close to his skull, and the finger
resolutely pressing the trigger, were too much, and the savage made a
tremendous leap, like a tiger springing from his hiding-place, went
far out into the sea, and, quickly coming to the surface, blew the
water from his mouth, and began swimming with a swift, powerful stroke
in the direction of the pursuing boat.

"Did you see that?" inquired Sanders, beginning coolly to reload his
pistol.

"What do you mean?"

"Did you know why I fired as quickly as I did?"

"No."

"That wretch had drawn his knife, and was moving in the direction of
the unsuspecting Inez, sitting there. I overheard him say something
which aroused my suspicion, and he was in the very act of raising his
knife when I fired."

"Is it possible? He deserved death, then, and you finished him. But
what purpose could they have in killing an innocent girl like her?"

"Pure fiendishness--that's all. Then they meant to make their attack
upon us, and they would have made things lively."

"But how much better it would have been had they waited until the
others attacked, when they could have made a fatal diversion?"

"Most certainly; but their course shows the nature of the wretches.
They are so fiendish and so eager to fight that they have no
judgment."

"Are we heading toward Wauparmur, Fred?"

"No; we are steering wide of it."

"Since, then, we are engaged in a regular chase for that port, why not
head straight for the island, so as to have that advantage, at
least?"

"You are right, for there is nothing to be gained by maneuvering to
throw them off the track."

Fred Sanders took a small compass from his pocket, and studied it
carefully for a minute or two by the light of the moon. Then he gave
directions to Storms to bear more to the left, or the westward, unti