rray," he cried, "what does this mean? Why have you got
the planter's boat and crew out here?"

"We found them, sir, by accident," faltered the lad.

"Well, I suppose they did not want much finding. Where is your
prisoner?"

Murray gazed at his officer vacantly, trying hard to reply, but, as he
afterwards said to Roberts, if it had been to save his life he could not
have uttered a word.

"What's the matter, my lad?" said the chief officer kindly. "Not ill,
are you?"

"No, sir," replied Murray, finding his voice at last, and watching the
lieutenant hard, followed by Dick Roberts, who was grinning as if he
enjoyed hearing what he looked upon as the beginning of "a wigging."

"Then why don't you speak? I said where is your prisoner?"

"I--I don't know, sir," was the extremely feeble reply.

"Wha-a-a-t!" shouted the lieutenant. "I don't know, sir," cried Murray,
desperately now. "He's gone."

"Gone? My good sir," cried the lieutenant, "you were sent here in
charge of him for some cryptic idea of the captain, and you tell me he's
gone? You don't mean to tell me that you've let him escape!"

"I didn't let him escape, sir," faltered the lad, glancing at his
brother middy and reading in his countenance, rightly or wrongly, that
Roberts was triumphing over the trouble he was in--"I didn't let him
escape, sir," cried Murray desperately, "for I was being as watchful as
possible; but he was very ill and weak and said that he wanted to lie
down in one of the rooms there. Tom May will tell you the same, sir."

"I dare say he will, sir, when I ask him," said the lieutenant sternly.
"Now I am asking you the meaning of this lapse of duty."

"I did keep watch over him, sir, and posted my men all round the
cottage; but when I came to see how he was getting on--"

"Getting on, sir! Getting off, you mean."

"No, sir; I did not see him go off, sir," faltered Murray.

"Don't you try to bandy words with me, sir," cried the lieutenant,
beginning to fulminate with rage. "There, speak out plainly. You mean
to tell me that when you came to look for your prisoner--for that is
what he is--he was gone?"

"Yes, sir; that is right," said the lad sadly.

"That is wrong, Mr Murray. Gone! And you stand here doing nothing!
Confound it all, man, why are you not searching for him?"

"I have been searching for him, sir."

"But you are here, my good sir, and have not found him."

"No, sir, but I have done everything possib