rness, the two men had been talking in
ordinary tones and had paid no attention to their surroundings. A
voice suddenly crackled through the other sounds of the night.

"Well, we've got two of 'em. Hands up, or we'll blow your heads off!"

It was Ditty with half a dozen of the mutineers at his back. They held
Drew and Parmalee under the muzzles of their automatics.

It was useless to attempt to escape. Even Drew, reckless as he had
shown himself at times, would not take his life so lightly in his
hands. And, besides, he knew well that Ditty would be only too glad to
shoot him.

His hands, as well as Parmalee's, went up promptly. One of the seamen,
laughing a little, came forward and searched them both, taking away
Drew's weapon. Parmalee had dropped his useless club.

The young men, so suddenly made captives by the mutineers, stood with
their backs to the strong moonlight, their faces in the shadow. The
moon was now sinking behind a buttress of the volcano. As yet, neither
had been recognized by their captors. But now Ditty came forward, and
first of all thrust his face into that of Parmalee.

"Who the devil are you?" he demanded.

The young man lifted his head and stared into the mate's pale eye.
Ditty started back with a shriek.

"What--what---- Who is it?" chattered the mate. His henchmen gazed at
him in amazement. Suddenly Ditty came forward again, and whirled
Parmalee around so that he faced the sinking moon.

"Mr. Parmalee!" he whispered.

The latter smiled faintly.

"It's Parmalee, all right," he said. "You didn't expect to see me
again, I imagine, Mr. Ditty."

The sound of the man's voice seemed to reassure the mate. The other
mutineers chattered their surprise. Finally Ditty, licking his dry
lips, stammered:

"I--I thought that you--you were----"

"No thanks to you that I'm not drowned, Mr. Ditty, if that's what you
mean," said Parmalee bitterly. "You tried your best to murder me."

"Not me!" declared Ditty, with a gesture of denial, turning his single
eye away from the other's accusing gaze. "It was that swab, Drew,
threw you overboard."

"Liar," declared Parmalee evenly. "Drew lay on the deck unconscious
from his fall. I was stooping to help him. Though you crept up behind
me, I knew you when you seized me in your arms, you villain. And I
hope to see you punished for it."

Ditty, with a curse, would have struck Parmalee, but Drew stepped
between them and received th