ght alienate him--a catastrophe which they were anxious
to avert above everything else.

"You say he shook hands with you upon it?" repeated Redvignez. "What
does all that mean?"

"It means that he is with us heart and soul. He sees the necessity of
putting the captain and mate out of the way, and he will help do it."

"But what about the little girl--the viper?"

"It was a bad thing for us, Redvig, when we played that little trick,
for I have been ready to despair more than once, but the remedy is so
simple that I wonder we have not thought of it before."

"How is that?"

"We will spare her, for Pomp gave me to understand that on no other
conditions would he go into it. She will be a pleasant playmate for
him, and will help keep him true to us. She is so young and
simple-hearted that we can make her believe that some accident has
befallen the other two, by which they came to their death, so there
will be no danger from anything she ever can tell. When we have
gathered in all the pearls we will set sail for South America. At
Valparaiso or some of the ports we will place the girl in some convent
or school, with enough money to take care of her, and then we will
land at another port, sell the schooner, divide up the proceeds and
separate, each taking a different route home, if we choose to go
there, and then all we'll have to do, Redvig, is to enjoy the wealth
which shall be ours."

"How much do you think it will be?" asked the Spaniard, with sparkling
eyes.

"There is no telling," was the reply. "I hardly dare think, but I know
it runs into the hundreds of thousands, and it is not at all
impossible that it touches the millions."

Redvignez drew a deep breath and his heart gave a great throb, as
would be the case with the most phlegmatic being who contemplated the
near possession of such vast wealth. Visions of the wild round of
dissipation and excesses in which they would indulge came up before
the two evil men, and it was no wonder that they were impatient for
the hour to come when they should strike the blow for the prize. Like
the officers, they were so full of the scheme that they had no desire
to sleep; and while the figure of Mr. Storms was visible at the wheel,
and the _Coral_ sped on to the southward over the calm, moonlit sea,
these two men talked about and agreed upon the particulars of the
frightful crime which had been in their hearts, as may be said, from
the moment they hoisted sail and passed o