ll not be worth a pewter shilling."

"I am yet in your power, Mr. Thorwald," said Gascoyne; "if your friends
agree to it, I cannot prevent your putting about and returning to Sandy
Cove. But in that case the missionary's child _will be lost!_"

"I do not believe that my child's safety is so entirely dependent on
you," said Mr. Mason, who had listened in silence to the foregoing
dialogue; "she is in the hands of that God on whom you have turned your
back, and with whom all things are possible. But I feel disposed to
trust you, Gascoyne; and I feel thus because of what was said of you by
Mrs. Stuart, in whose good sense I place implicit confidence. I would
advise Mr. Thorwald to wait patiently until he sees more cause than he
does at present for distrust."

Gascoyne had turned round, and, during the greater part of this speech,
had gazed intently towards the horizon.

"We shall have rough weather to-night," said he; "but our work will be
done before it comes, I hope. Up with the helm now, Henry, and slack off
the sheets; it is dark enough to allow us to creep in without being
observed. Manton will of course be in the only harbor in the island; we
must therefore go round to the other side, and take the risk of running
on the reefs."

"Risk!" exclaimed Henry; "I thought you knew all the passages about the
island!"

"So I do, lad--all the passages; but I don't profess to know every rock
and reef in the bottom of the sea. Our only chance is to make the island
on the south side, where there are no passages at all except one that
leads into a bay; but if we run into that, our masts will be seen
against the southern sky, even from the harbor where the schooner lies.
If we are seen they will be prepared for us, in which case we shall have
a desperate fight with little chance of success and the certainty of
much bloodshed. We must therefore run straight for another part of the
shore, not far from the bay I have referred to, and take our chance of
striking. I _think_ there is enough of water to float this little cutter
over the reefs, but I am not sure."

"Think! sure!" echoed Thorwald, in a tone of exasperated surprise; "and
if we _do_ strike, Mr. Gascoyne, do you mean us to go beg for mercy at
the hands of your men, or to swim back to Sandy Cove?"

"If we strike, I shall take the boat, land with the men, and leave the
cutter to her fate. The Avenger will suffice to take us back to Sandy
Cove."

Ole was rendered speechl