eady.

"And you must have your breakfast with me," said Mary, "and after that
you must obey _my_ orders. I am to be captain to-day."

* * * * *

As she and the two seamen sat aft under the awning, at their breakfast,
Selak, the leading Malay, and his fellows squatted on the fore-hatch and
talked in whispers.

"I tell thee," said Selak, "that I have seen it. On the evening of the
day when the man Sam died and was buried, I was sitting outside the
house. It was dark, and the Tuan Korwal thought I had returned to the
ship. I crept near and listened. They were speaking of what should be
done with the dead man's share of the gold. Then I looked through the
cave side of the house, and--dost remember that white basin of thine,
Miguel?"

The Manila man nodded.

"The white woman, at a sign from her husband, went into the inner room
and brought it out and placed it on the table. It was full to the brim
with gold! and there was more in a bag!"

His listeners drew nearer to him, their dark eyes gleaming with avarice.

"Then the Tuan said, 'None of Sam's gold will I or my wife touch. Let it
be divided among you three. It is but fair.'

"They talked again, and then Mallet said to the Tuan, 'Captain, it shall
be as you wish. But let it all go together till the time comes for thee
to give us our share.'

"I watched the white woman take the basin and the bag, put them into
a box, and place the box in a hole in the ground in her sleeping-room.
Then I came away, for my heart was on fire with the wrong that hath been
done to us."

He rose to his feet and peered round the corner of the galley. Mary and
the two seamen were eating very leisurely.

"Three of them are here now and will sleep aboard to-night. God hath
given them into our hands!"

"And what of the other two?--they are strong men," asked a wizen,
monkey-faced Malay, nicknamed Nakoda (the captain).

"Bah! What is a giant if he sleeps and a kriss is swept across his
throat, or a spear is thrust into his back from behind? They, too, shall
die as quickly as these who sit near us. Now listen. But sit thou out on
the deck, Miguel, so that thou canst warn us if either of those accursed
dogs approach."

The cook obeyed him silently.

"_This_ it is to be. To-night these three here shall die in their sleep,
silently and without a sound. Then we, all but thou, Nakoda, shall take
the boat and go to the house. Both the Tuan and Mallet sleep heavily,
and"--he drew his hand