ured out of Ruth. But Carew protected her--and us. He hopes to
gain her favor, to compel her to love him, or--at least accept him. He
even hinted he would place all the rest of us safely ashore. I think
he was lying."

"Depend on it, he was," asserted Little Billy. "Place you safely
ashore on this island, I suppose, And conduct you to the edge of that
hole, and personally chuck you in. That's Carew's style! My God, that
is an awful hole, Martin! It got on my nerves. Listen, she's blowing
again!"

They regarded each other silently, listening to the roaring down there
in the depths. It grew and grew, became for a moment a harsh menacing,
overwhelming screech, and then slowly subsided to the murmurous moaning
that never ceased.

"It happens continuously," commented Little Billy. "Every hour or so,
since I've been ashore. Blow the roof off some day. Here comes the
rest of it."

"The rest of it" was the rumble and the little quake. It brought
vividly before Martin's eyes the horrid picture of the ghostly lighted
chasm, and the yellow men falling to their death. It brought
disquietude to another mind, also. Ichi emitted a wail of pure terror.

"This place has got him," said Little Billy. "By Jove, it has nearly
got me, too. One could swear those were human voices in torment, down
there. Eh, Ichi," he added in louder tones, "don't you hear your
shipmates calling to you to join them? Down yonder in the hole?"

Ichi chattered in his native tongue. He may have been answering Little
Billy; it sounded as though he were cursing him. Whatever it was, it
was frightened and forceless talk; and when presently Ichi lapsed into
English, it was the fear-stricken coolie who entreated, and not the
swagger Japanese gentleman who commanded.

"Oh, Mr. Blake, you are gentleman. Mr. Billy is not speak
truthfulness, yis? Mr. Blake, please, you will not give me to the
'Deep Place.' Not to the 'Evil Ones.' Mr. Blake, I help you, I be of
much usefulness. You promise--Mr. Billy spoke with jokefulness. Yis,
prease?"

"He's forgetting his English. What do you know about that?" said
Little Billy.

"He thinks you meant what you said about his shipmates calling,"
replied Martin, in a low voice. "He thinks you meant that you were
going to drop him into the hole, after his gang. Threaten him some
more. The more frightened he is, the more eagerly he'll do what we
wish. There goes seven bells on the ship--we'll have