e. Why, bless me,
the world is filled with honest people and with rogues, and the latter
prey upon their fellows. Are the honest men to put up with robbery and
violence? Did you agree so easily to James Langdon's taking your gold?
Did you? Come, answer the question."

Dick was cornered, and began to see the other side of the matter. The
sun was coming up, too, and the damp mist was already beginning to
disappear. Our surroundings often have an immense effect upon the
brightness or otherwise of our thoughts, and our hero, usually so jolly
and so genial, had felt the depression common to many who keep watch
alone during the dark hours after an action.

"Of course I didn't," he answered. "I tried to shoot him, just as I did
last night, and he would have richly deserved his fate."

"Quite so. And these rascals last night deserved theirs, without a
doubt. It happened that you were the one to stand between them and
their wishes, and they did their utmost to remove you. Theirs was might
against right, and right prevailed. They paid the penalty, and here are
you grieving because all has happened as it should. Come. No more of
this nonsense! Tell me about the action, for, remember, after the
moment when we set foot ashore, I know nothing, save that I found myself
aboard this launch, with you and Meinheer staring into my face. That
reminds me. Where is our fine friend? A precious mess his laziness got
us into last night."

"Turned in and snoring," said Dick. "Listen!"

Above the ripple of the water and the sough of the wind in the trees the
sounds proceeding from the nose of the Dutchman could be distinctly
heard.

"He must have his sleep," laughed Mr Pepson. "Did I not tell you that
we must needs rely upon ourselves for protection? He is made for
commerce, not for warfare."

"And yet he did well last night. I'll tell you what happened."

They sat down on the tiny roof while Dick told how the bullet had struck
his friend, and how the flash had showed him a dozen men rushing down
upon them.

"That was an awkward position," interrupted his friend. "I understand
that I was lying in the water. Covered, in fact?"

There was a queer little smile on his lips, and he looked swiftly into
Dick's honest and open face.

"Yes. You had gone below the surface. I was stunned by the mishap. I
thought it was all up with us."

"With me, you mean. You could have bolted. The boat was close at
hand."

Dick