ging from the cavern, looked around. The sun was bright on the
water, the foam sparkled, and the blue tossed and danced as if Nature
were revisiting happily the scene of pleasant memories. It seemed as if
those deeds of the previous night, that long fight against fate, those
dismal forebodings, the tragedy of the Prince, were all separated from
us by a gulf of years. It was almost impossible to conceive of them as
belonging to our immediate precedent past and as colouring our present
and our future. And as my gaze swept the horizon for the orient towards
the west it landed upon nothing less than the _Sea Queen_!

I could have rubbed my eyes, and I started in amazement. My heart beat
heavily. But it was true. There rode the yacht in the offing, idly
swinging and plunging on the tide and clearly under no man's control.
She must have drifted in upon Hurricane Island again through the stress
of some backward tide, and here she bobbed on the broken water safe
from the eyes of the mutineers. As soon as I had recovered from the
shock of surprise, I reentered the cavern and woke Legrand, and in less
than five minutes all of us were outside our shelter and gazing at the
welcome sight.

"We have the boat hidden," said Legrand. "We must work our way back to
it, and the sooner the better."

"Too much risk," said I. "I know a better way. At the tail of the
island we may be seen and pursued. There are boats aboard, and she's
not more than three hundred yards out."

"What, swim?" he asked, and looked rueful. He was one of the many
sailors I have known who had not that useful art.

I nodded. "It won't take me long."

As I passed, Alix caught my hand. She said nothing, but her eyes
devoured me and her bosom heaved. I smiled.

"My Princess!" I whispered, and her soul was in her look.

"I can't see a sign of any one on board," said Legrand, with his hand
over his eyes.

"Mademoiselle would not be awake yet. It can't be later than five,"
said Lane, who was much better to-day.

"I make it 5:30," said Legrand. "We have some time to ourselves if we
have luck. After last night those fiends will sleep well and with easy
consciences." He spoke grimly.

"Have everything ready," I called as I left. "We must not lose a chance
or hazard anything."

"What do _you_ think?" said Lane, in his old cheerful manner.

I quickly descended to the beach, threw off my coat, waistcoat, and
boots, and tightened my belt. Then I waded into the sea.