he fired.

All started up; innumerable echoes repeated the sound of the discharge; a
cloud of bright-coloured birds flew out of the woods screaming; a handful
of leaves were scattered in the place where the shot had struck; a
crackling of branches was heard; and some lithe but heavy creature sprang
into the air, and fell forward, head down, over the muddy bank.

"What is it?" cries Captain Maryon from his boat. All silent then, but
the echoes rolling away.

"It is a Traitor and a Spy," said Captain Carton, handing me the gun to
load again. "And I think the other name of the animal is Christian
George King!"

Shot through the heart. Some of the people ran round to the spot, and
drew him out, with the slime and wet trickling down his face; but his
face itself would never stir any more to the end of time.

"Leave him hanging to that tree," cried Captain Carton; his boat's crew
giving way, and he leaping ashore. "But first into this wood, every man
in his place. And boats! Out of gunshot!"

It was a quick change, well meant and well made, though it ended in
disappointment. No Pirates were there; no one but the Spy was found. It
was supposed that the Pirates, unable to retake us, and expecting a great
attack upon them to be the consequence of our escape, had made from the
ruins in the Forest, taken to their ship along with the Treasure, and
left the Spy to pick up what intelligence he could. In the evening we
went away, and he was left hanging to the tree, all alone, with the red
sun making a kind of a dead sunset on his black face.

Next day, we gained the settlement on the Mosquito coast for which we
were bound. Having stayed there to refresh seven days, and having been
much commended, and highly spoken of, and finely entertained, we Marines
stood under orders to march from the Town-Gate (it was neither much of a
town nor much of a gate), at five in the morning.

My officer had joined us before then. When we turned out at the gate,
all the people were there; in the front of them all those who had been
our fellow-prisoners, and all the seamen.

"Davis," says Lieutenant Linderwood. "Stand out, my friend!"

I stood out from the ranks, and Miss Maryon and Captain Carton came up to
me.

"Dear Davis," says Miss Maryon, while the tears fell fast down her face,
"your grateful friends, in most unwillingly taking leave of you, ask the
favour that, while you bear away with you their affectionate remembrance,