rding to temperament. They were not long in verifying the
statement. A ledge of rocks concealed the entrance to the cavern from
the sea. Over its edge could be seen the harbour in which they had
found the vessel whose total destruction has been described; and there,
sure enough, they beheld a similar vessel, though considerably smaller,
in the act of furling her sails and dropping anchor. There could be no
doubt as to her character, for although too distant to admit of her crew
being distinguished by star-light, her rig and general appearance
betrayed her.

"Not a moment to be lost, Robin," said Sam Shipton hurriedly, as he led
the way back to the tavern, where old Meerta and blind Bungo, aided by
Letta, had already cleared away all evidence of the late feast, leaving
only three tin cups and three pewter plates on the table, with viands
appropriate thereto.

"Ha! you're a knowing old lady," exclaimed Sam, "you understand how to
help us, I see."

"Me tink so!" replied Meerta, with an intelligent nod. "On'y us t'ree
here. All de pyrits gone away. Dem sinners on'y come here for a feed--
p'r'aps for leetil poodre. Soon go away."

"Just so," said Sam, "meanwhile we will hide, and return after they are
gone, or, better still, if you, Letta, and Bungo will come and hide with
us, I'll engage to lay a train of powder from the barrels inside to
somewhere outside, and blow the reptiles and the whole mountain into the
sea! There's powder enough to do it."

"You tink me one divl?" demanded the old woman indignantly. "No, some
o' dem pyrits not so bad as each oder. You let 'em alone; me let you
alone."

This gentle intimation that Meerta had their lives in her hand, induced
Sam to ask modestly what she would have him do.

"Go," she replied promptly, "take rifles, swords, an' poodre. Hide till
pyrits go 'way. If de finds you--fight. Better fight dan be skin
alive!"

"Unquestionably," said Sam, with a mingled laugh and shudder, in which
his companions joined--as regards the shudder at least, if not the
laugh.

Acting promptly on the suggestion, Sam armed himself and his comrades
each with a good breech-loading rifle, as much ammunition as he could
conveniently carry, and an English sword. Then, descending the mountain
on the side opposite to the harbour they disappeared in the dark and
tangled underwood of the palm-grove. Letta went a short distance with
them.

"They won't kill Meerta or blind Bungo," she