swiftly across his tawny throat.

"And then?" queried Nakoda.

"And then the gold--the gold, or our share of which we have been
robbed--is ours, and the ship is ours, and I, Selak, will guide ye all
to Dobbo in the Aru Islands, where we shall be safe, and become great
men."

"But," muttered another man, "what if these black sons of Shaitan here
of the Island turn upon us after we have slain the white men?"

Selak laughed scornfully. "The sound of a gun terrifies them. They are
cowards, and will not seek to interfere with us."

*****

Night had fallen. The two white seamen, tired out with their day's work,
had spread their mats on the poop, and were sound in slumber. Below in
the cabin, the captain's wife lay reading by the light of a lamp; and
Selak, standing in the waist, could see its faint reflection shining
through the cabin door, which opened on to the main deck. Sitting on
the fore-deck, with their hands clutching their knives, his companions
watched him.

At last the light was lowered, and Mary closed her eyes and slept.

The Malay waited patiently. One by one the remaining native fires on the
shore went out; and, presently, a chill gust of air swept down from the
mountains, and looking shoreward he saw that the sky to the eastward
was quickly darkening and hiding the stars--a heavy downpour of rain was
near.

He drew his kriss from its tortoiseshell sheath and felt the edge, made
a gesture to the crouching tigers for'ard, and then stepped lightly
along the deck to the open cabin door; the other four crept after him,
then stopped and waited--for less than a minute.

A faint, choking cry came from the cabin, and then Selak came out, his
kriss streaming with blood.

"It is done," he whispered, and pointing to the poop he sprang up.

"Hi, there! what's the matter?" cried Totten, who had heard the feint
cry; and then, too late, he drew his pistol from his belt and fired--as
Selak's kriss plunged into his chest. Poor Harris was slaughtered ere he
had opened his eyes.

Spurning Totten's body with his naked foot, Selak cursed it. "Accursed
Christian dog! Would I could bring thee to life so that I might kill
thee again!" Then, as he heard the rushing hum of the coming rain
squall, and saw that the shore was hidden from view, as if a solid wall
of white stone had suddenly arisen between it and the ship, he grinned.

"Bah! what does it matter? Had it been a cannon instead of a pistol it
could scarce have