ty, and think of some other plan. That is all, I think. Now I
will put you aboard again. But look out for me to come off again about
the same time to-morrow night."

With the same caution as before Leslie now again approached the barque,
but this time he took the canoe up under the craft's mizzen channels,
from which it was a much easier matter for the steward to scramble
aboard again than if he had been compelled to shin up the rope dangling
over the stern, by which he had descended; and having seen the man
safely in on deck, he softly pushed the canoe off the ship's side with
his bare hand, and allowed her to be driven clear by the wind; and it
was not until he was a good hundred yards astern of the _Minerva_ that
he took to his paddle and returned to the camp. It was nearly two
o'clock in the morning when at length he once more entered his tent and
stretched himself upon his bed to finish his night's rest.

Leslie was habitually an early riser, and, notwithstanding the fact that
the previous night's rest had been a broken one, he was once more astir
by sunrise, taking his towels and soap with him to a little rocky pool
in the stream where he was wont to indulge in his morning's "tub;" and
by eight o'clock he was seated at table in his tent, enjoying his
breakfast, and at the same time keeping an eye upon the barque.

It was not, however, until close upon half-past ten that Dick detected
any signs of a movement on board the _Minerva_; and then with the aid of
his telescope, he observed that they were getting the vessel's dinghy
into the water. Ten minutes later he saw Turnbull climb down the ship's
side, and, throwing over a short pair of sculls, shove off and head the
little craft for the beach. Dick waited only just long enough to make
quite sure that the man was really coming ashore, and, this presently
becoming evident, he at once started for the treasure-cave. Knowing the
way by this time perfectly well, an hour's easy walking took him to the
spot, where he found Nicholls and Simpson on the watch. A few terse
sentences sufficed to put the men in possession of the material facts of
the situation, and he then hurried down aboard the cutter to see Flora
and assure her of his safety, and that everything was going well. Then,
returning to the cave, he made his final arrangements with the two men,
and set out on his way back toward the camp. He did not go very far,
however, for he knew that, finding him abse