reparing to commence the task of planking-up, that, upon emerging from
the tent one morning after breakfast to wend his way down to the
shipyard, he was amazed to see a cloud of smoke rising from the now
partially dismembered hull of the brig, followed, even as he gazed
incredulously, by an outburst of flame. Rushing back to the tent for
the telescope, he brought the instrument to bear upon the craft, and
then discovered that not only was she on fire, but also that there was a
boat or canoe of some sort alongside her, and a moment later he saw a
party of natives on board her!

He stamped his foot on the ground with anger and vexation. Natives
again, and this time in the form of wanton marauders; for he had no
doubt that they had been plundering the wreck, and, having secured all
that they required or could carry away, had maliciously set fire to her.
And who were they, and where had they come from? Were they Cuffy and
Sambo, returned to the island with a party of friends for the purpose of
securing possession of some intensely coveted object--as seemed more
than probable--or were they strangers, who had come upon the island
accidentally? This last was scarcely probable, for there had been no
bad weather to blow them out to sea, and the nearest land was so far
distant that, assuming them to have come from it, they would scarcely
have adventured the passage across so wide a stretch of ocean on mere
speculation. At all events, let them be whom they might, and no matter
where they came from, they must be driven off; for the presence of a
party of strange natives upon the island constituted an intolerable
menace that must at once be put an end to.

These reflections flashed through Leslie's brain even as he lowered the
telescope from his eye, and, calling to Flora, he pointed out to her the
burning brig, saying--

"Look at that, sweetheart! The poor old _Mermaid_ is on fire, and we
are about to see the last of her. That, however, is not a matter of
very great moment, for I believe I have got out of her practically
everything that I need; the point that is of importance is that she has
been set on fire, either wilfully or accidentally, by a party of
natives, who are at this moment on board her. There are some ten or a
dozen of them, so far as I can make out, and it seems pretty clear that
they have come here on a looting expedition, organised, as likely as
not, by those fellows Sambo and Cuffy, who seized the opport