ure."

Divine went white. To face trial before two such men as Simms and Ward
meant death, of that he was positive. To flee into the forest meant
death, almost equally certain, and much more horrible. The man went to
his knees, lifting supplicating hands to the mate.

"For God's sake, Mr. Ward," he cried, "be merciful. I was led into this
by Theriere. He lied to me just as he did to the men. You can't kill
me--it would be murder--they'd hang you for it."

"We'll hang for this muss you got us into anyway, if we're ever caught,"
growled the mate. "Ef you hadn't a-carried the girl off to be murdered
we might have had enough ransom money to have got clear some way, but
now you gone and cooked the whole goose fer the lot of us."

"You can collect ransom on me," cried Divine, clutching at a straw.
"I'll pay a hundred thousand myself the day you set me down in a
civilized port, safe and free."

Ward laughed in his face.

"You ain't got a cent, you four-flusher," he cried. "Clinker put us next
to that long before we sailed from Frisco."

"Clinker lies," cried Divine. "He doesn't know anything about it--I'm
rich."

"Wot's de use ob chewin' de rag 'bout all dis," cried Blanco, seeing
where he might square himself with Ward and Simms easily. "Does yo' take
back all us sailormen, Mr. Ward, an' promise not t' punish none o' us,
ef we swear to stick by yo' all in de future?"

"Yes," replied the mate.

Blanco took a step toward Divine.

"Den yo come along too as a prisoner, white man," and the burly black
grasped Divine by the scruff of the neck and forced him before him down
the steep trail toward the cove, and so the mutineers returned to the
command of Skipper Simms, and L. Cortwrite Divine went with them as a
prisoner, charged with a crime the punishment for which has been death
since men sailed the seas.

CHAPTER XI. THE VILLAGE OF YOKA

FOR several minutes Barbara Harding lay where she had collapsed after
the keen short sword of the daimio had freed her from the menace of his
lust.

She was in a half-stupor that took cognizance only of a freezing terror
and exhaustion. Presently, however, she became aware of her contact with
the corpse beside her, and with a stifled cry she shrank away from it.

Slowly the girl regained her self-control and with it came the
realization of the extremity of her danger. She rose to a sitting
posture and turned her wide eyes toward the doorway to the adjoining
room--the women