re, both of you, that no
light shows from your hut to-night. And I will just step up to the tent
and give Miss Trevor a similar caution. Good night, men. We had better
be stirring by dawn to-morrow morning." So saying, Leslie turned away,
and made his way to the tent, where he not only cautioned Flora against
showing a light, but took such simple precautions as were required to
render it impossible that the necessary lights in the tent should be
seen from the barque. Then, this done to his satisfaction, he lighted
his pipe and, taking the telescope--which was both a day and a
night-glass--once more sauntered down to the beach to watch the
proceedings aboard the strange vessel. For although he could find no
legitimate reason or excuse for the feeling, it was an undeniable fact
that the appearance of this barque upon the scene affected him
disagreeably, producing within him a vague sense of unrest that almost
amounted to foreboding. _Why_ had she come to the island? That was the
question that persistently haunted him, and to which he could find no
entirely satisfactory reply. That her presence there was accidental he
could not believe, else how came it that the person in charge of her
knew so well where to find the channel giving access to the lagoon, and
entered it so confidently, not even waiting for the daylight to enable
him to see his way in? And as he mused thus he employed himself in
intently watching the barque through the night-glass, again noting the
fact that the vessel was curiously short-handed, for her people furled
only one topsail at a time, and--so far as he could make out--had only
four men available for the job, instead of at least twice that number.
Furthermore, he noticed that, even for that small number of men, the
time consumed in rolling up and stowing the sails was quite
unconscionable, arguing the existence of an exceedingly lax discipline--
if any at all--aboard the craft. He estimated that it occupied those
four men fully two hours to furl the two topsails; and when it was at
last done and the men had descended to the deck with exasperating
deliberation, he came to the conclusion that, if the night-glass was to
be trusted, the job had been done in a most disgracefully slovenly
manner.

He patiently watched that barque until all visible signs of life aboard
her had vanished, and then he walked thoughtfully back to the tent and
turned in--Flora having retired some time before. But ere