ore firmly.

Carey hesitated, but the stern eyes forced him to obey, and as he sat
there with the last rays of the setting sun streaming into the cabin, he
bared his breast, to show a great red patch as large as the palm of his
hand.

"Spent or badly loaded bullet, Carey," said the doctor, faintly.
"Painful, but no danger, lad. The skin is not pierced." He could say
no more, but lay holding the lad's hand, while Jackum watched in the
midst of an intense silence, till a shot suddenly rang out, just as the
cabin was darkening.

"Hullo! What's that mean?" came in a deep growl from the top of the
cabin stairs.

"Ahoy there!" roared Mallam. "Where's that there doctor?"

"You ought to know," shouted Bostock, every word in the silence of the
gathering night sounding plainly on the listeners' ears. "Down below,
with your shot in his limb."

"Curse his limb!" roared Mallam.

"Look ye here," said Bostock, in hoarse, stentorian tones, "I've got a
double gun, double-loaded, in my fins, and I'm pynting down straight at
you, my old beachcomber; and I tell you what it is, if you begin any of
your games again I looses off both barrels and ends you. D'yer hear?"

"Yes, I hear, cooky. I won't fire any more. You must bring that doctor
down to see to me. I'm wrecked."

"What's the matter with you?" growled Bostock; "too drunk to move?"

"No-o-o-o!" roared the beachcomber. "I fell down these cursed stairs
and broke both my legs."

"Oh, that's it, is it?" said Bostock, coolly. "I was wondering what was
the matter. Well, it'll keep you quiet for a bit."

"You send down the doctor, I tell you."

"He can't come, and if he could he wouldn't. I'll send some of your
black fellows to come if you give up your pistols and gun."

"What!" roared Mallam. "I'm king here, and--here, you tell the doctor
to come to me directly."

"Shan't," growled Bostock.

"Big Dan brokum," whispered Black Jackum.

"Yes," said Carey, "both legs."

"Black Jackum go and men'. No. Big Dan shoot um."

At that moment there was the sound of joyous shouting from the island,
and the ruddy glare of a big fire played through the saloon window.

"Boy big eat corroborree," said the black, sadly. "Jack go eat snake?
No. Big Dan not shoot, Jackum 'top men' both leggum."

"Ahoy, there!" roared Mallam, from the bottom of the stairs, "if that
doctor aren't down here 'fore I count five hundred I'll fire down into
the powder store and blow up the