re the gaze, she had turned and was slowly
mounting the hill.

My eyes left her and went downwards to the beach. I was almost at the
top of the spur which rolled over towards the bay on which the yacht
had stranded. What was my horror to notice some excitement among the
mutineers, and to see a man with his face towards the hill and an
uplifted arm. Good heavens! The Princess had been discovered.

I stood stock-still, rooted to the ground with my apprehensions, and
then several of the mutineers began to run towards the ravine. I
started at once on a race up the slope. Looking down I saw the full
pack streaming up the valley, and I redoubled my exertions. I was some
distance away, but I had not so far to go as they. The Princess
stopped, arrested by the drunken shouts from below, and then suddenly
broke into a run. She had recognised her danger. I bounded through the
bushes, and cut across to intercept the wolves. It was all a matter of
little more than five minutes, and then I stopped and awaited their
arrival.

The first man, who was without a weapon, came to a pause a dozen paces
from me.

"Stand, or I fire," I said, levelling my weapon.

He looked uncertainly round for his companions. Two or three joined
him, and, encouraged by this accession to the force, he said jeeringly:

"Put that down, or it will be the worse for you. We've had enough of
you. And now we've got you in a mucky hole."

"That remains to be seen," said I calmly, for I noticed that they did
not seem to be supplied with weapons. I could see others climbing up
below, and among them Holgate. A little lull fell on the scene. It was
as if fate hung undecided, not certain whether the scales should go
down on this side or that. I stood facing the group of dismayed and
angry ruffians, and without turning my head was aware of some one
running behind me. I do not think I gave this a single thought, so
preoccupied was I with the situation in front. The group was enlarged
by arrivals and one of these, stumbling, uttered an oath.

"Shoot him!" he said, and himself lifted a pistol at me.

I raised mine also, and a second and a third were now levelled at me.
The scales were against me, but even as this flashed across my mind, a
report sounded behind me, and the drunken creature fell. I glanced
about, and there was Legrand, with his steady hand and flaming eye. My
heart thrilled. A shout of fury went up in front. "Shoot them--shoot
them!" and the barrels d