, watching my fate. In the meantime, Fleming had
taken out of his pocket his phosphorus match box. I heard the tin top
pulled open--even the slight rustling of the one match selected was
perceived. Another second it was withdrawn from the bottle, and a wild
flame of light illumined the deck cabin, and discovered me to their
view. Staggered at my appearance, the match fell from Fleming's hand,
and all was dark as before; but there was no more to be gained by
darkness--I had been discovered.

"Jacob!" cried Marables.

"Will not live to tell the tale," added Fleming, with a firm voice, as
he put another match into the bottle, and then relighted the lamp.
"Come," said Fleming, fiercely; "out of the cabin immediately."

I prepared to obey him. Fleming went out, and I was following him round
his side of the table, when Marables interposed.

"Stop: Fleming, what is that you mean to do?"

"Silence him!" retorted Fleming.

"But not murder him, surely?" cried Marables, trembling from head to
foot. "You will not, dare not, do that."

"What is it that I dare not do, Marables? but it is useless to talk; it
is now his life or mine. One must be sacrificed, and I will not die yet
to please him."

"You shall not--by God, Fleming, you shall not!" cried Marables, seizing
hold of my other arm, and holding me tight.

I added my resistance to that of Marables; when Fleming, perceiving that
we should be masters, took a pistol from his pocket, and struck Marables
a blow on the head, which rendered him senseless. Throwing away the
pistol, he dragged me out of the cabin. I was strong, but he was very
powerful; my resistance availed me nothing: by degrees he forced me to
the side of the barge, and lifting me in his arms, dashed me into the
dark and rapidly flowing water. It was fortunate for me that the threat
of Fleming, upon our first meeting, had induced me to practise swimming,
and still more fortunate that I was not encumbered with any other
clothes than my shirt, in which I had come on deck. As it was, I was
carried away by the tide for some time before I could rise, and at such
a distance that Fleming, who probably watched, did not perceive that I
came up again. Still, I had but little hopes of saving myself in a dark
night, and at nearly a quarter of a mile from shore. I struggled to
keep myself afloat, when I heard the sound of oars; a second or two more
and I saw them over my head. I grasped at and seized the las