amongst grass and flowers and purling streams, whose
trickling I seemed to hear.

It was getting well on in the afternoon, I suppose, that Tom Jecks'
fever came to a height. He muttered, and then began to talk angrily,
but in an incoherent way, and his voice grew so loud that at last I
roused myself and went up to the look-out, to watch whether it was heard
without.

But the Chinamen heard nothing, only sat or lay about, talking or
sleeping. It was getting close upon evening, for the sunshine was warm
and golden, and cast long shadows from the rocks and the cliff above us
over the level sand.

How beautiful it all looked! that golden sea, with a distant sail here
and there. And now suddenly I found that there was a great deal of
excitement amongst the Chinamen, who were talking loudly.

My head was hot and confused, but I soon saw the reason why, and hope
began to revive, for about a couple of miles out I could see two junks
standing in, and my heart throbbed again with excitement as I noted
their rig, and could feel certain they were the pair we had watched
through that strange night.

"I must go and tell Ching," I said to myself. "Those junks will take
the wretches off. Only a few more hours, and we shall be safe."

"Stand by, my lads! Look out! Storm's coming down upon us. Now then;
every man for himself."

I turned cold with horror. Just then, too, when we were so near to
safety. For the words were Tom Jecks', roared in a hoarse voice in the
height of his delirium, and I saw that they were heard outside.

For the Chinamen who were sitting sprang up, sword or knife in hand;
those who were looking out to sea or making signals faced round, stood
staring at the cliff for a few moments as if startled, and then, as Tom
Jecks' voice rose again, but in muffled tones, for Ching had thrown
himself upon the poor fellow to stifle his utterances, the pirates
uttered a yell, rushed to the opening, tore down the sand and stones,
and Ching and Tom Jecks were dragged out on to the sand.

They had not seen me for the moment, but there was a shout directly, a
man jumped up, caught me by the leg, and I was dragged along and out
into the soft evening sunshine, to be forced down upon my knees close to
where Tom Jecks lay, and Ching was being held, for he was struggling
wildly with his captors, and talked excitedly to the fierce wretches who
crowded round us.

Ching was evidently pleading for mercy, not for himself b