enemies. For he had not
the slightest doubt the paper was a note written by Little Billy, and
conveyed by Yip's friendly hand.

Good old Yip! Martin felt shame of his recent low estimate of the
Chinaman. Yip was fooling the Japs--perhaps coached by the safely
hidden hunchback!

Martin's hopes leaped again. Why, thought he, with Little Billy's
fertile mind on the job, and Yip free and friendly, their chance of
success in an outbreak was greatly increased. Likely enough Little
Billy was in communication with the men in the hold. A well-timed
surprise might overcome the terrible handicap of the guns. If he only
knew what that paper in his pocket contained! Well, perhaps he would
know soon, if things went right.

Ichi's right side was toward him. Martin carefully noted the
revolver-butt peeping from the coat-pocket. That revolver occupied an
important place in the plan that was forming in Martin's mind. He
carefully scanned the other occupants of the boat. So far as he could
see their only weapons were sheath-knives.

The tide was ebbing swiftly and the _Cohasset_ tugged at her cable, bow
on to the beach. The breach between the ship and the whale-boat
widened; the panoramic view of the mountain and the little bay
interrupted Martin's thoughts. He twisted about in his seat, and sent
his gaze about the cove in an encircling sweep, thus gaining his first
clear idea of the actual geography of the place.

Nature had formed the bay, he saw, by pinching a small chunk out of the
huge cone of the volcano. The bay was a watery wedge cutting into the
mountain to a depth of about twelve hundred yards, a half-mile wide at
the entrance, and narrowing down to a bare half hundred yards of narrow
beach at the point of the wedge.

The _Cohasset_ was anchored about five hundred yards from the beach,
and at a like distance on either side of her the flanking cliffs rose
sheer from the water. The waters of the bay were quiet, but, at the
mouth, Martin saw the seas beating fiercely upon the girdling reef,
smashing thunderously upon jutting, jagged rocks, and sending the white
spray cascading into the sunshine. But he searched in vain for signs
of a wreck. He interrupted Ichi's reverie with a question.

"Where did the _Dawn_ strike?"

To his surprise, the Japanese answered promptly.

"On the opposite side of the island--on the reef. Ah, that was a
happening of much terribleness, Mr. Blake. It was night and fog--the