t you forget it. What d'ye say, Bill? Speak up. Give 'im 'is
counts."

"We accuse you of treachery and not behaving like a mate on ship about
the treasure," sang out Gray in a loud, high monotone. "We accuse you,
Mr. Holgate, of the murder of our two companions, Smith and Alabaster.
We accuse you, furthermore, Mr. Holgate, of a conspiracy to cheat the
company, us all being comrades."

"Now, Bill Gray, that's a very parsonical view of yours, isn't it?"
said Holgate with a sneer. "By gum, you regularly hit me off, Gray.
You're the man to see his way through a brick wall. I killed Smith and
Alabaster, did I? Well, what's the odds? Here was this man, Pierce,
who's frightened to face me in there with you, and his two pals, making
for the _Sea Queen_ to rob you and me. Don't I know him and you, too?
Where would we have been if I hadn't dropped 'em? Why, left, my good
man, left."

"That's what we are now," said one of the mutineers, "regularly
busted--busted and left. We're done."

"That's so," said Holgate suavely. "But at least Smith and Alabaster
have paid their shot and lot too. And, by thunder, that skunk behind
you shall do it too. Come out there, Pierce, sneak and dog, and take
your gruel."

He did not raise his voice perceptibly, but it seemed to wither the
mutineers, who stood about ten paces from him. He waddled towards them.

"Out of the way, men, and let me see him. Blind me, I'd sooner have
taken a bug into my confidence than Pierce. He gets ahead of us with
his long thin legs, and without so much as 'By your leave' swims out to
sea to cop what belongs to you and me and all of us."

There was a murmur at this, and it was quite impossible to tell how the
sympathies of the gang were going. But one called out again:

"Where's that damn Pye? Where's your spy?"

"So," says Holgate, "you are thinking of the doctor's story, are you?
You fool, he was only playing for his life and the life of his best
girl. Haven't you got the sense of a louse between you? Find Pye then,
and screw it out of him. Thumbscrew him till he tells, and see how much
he has to tell. It'll be worth your while, Garratt. Why, you fool, he's
just a little clerk that was useful, and was going to get a tip for his
pains. He wasn't standing in on our level. We came in on bed-rock."

There was a hoarse, discordant laugh.

"With the yacht gone, and us on a Godforsaken tea-tray in mid-ocean!"
said a voice.

Upon that in the dwindling light a s