eagerly, and together they ran into the
officers' quarters, to come forth again, armed to the teeth, to where
the ladies were waiting on the sand.

"Where is Mrs O'Halloran?" cried Mark, for she had disappeared.

"She ran into the hut," said his mother.

As the captain's wife spoke Mrs O'Halloran reappeared, laden with a bag
and a couple of bottles.

"You must help me carry all this," she said. "We may be obliged to take
to the jungle, and this will keep us from starving."

Mark saw the wisdom of the proceeding, and the load was shared as they
went on through the loose sand, the lad's heart sinking at the thought
of Jimpny's words, and he wondered what would be the result if it should
prove to be true that the pirates had landed and attacked the party in
Crater Bay.

He kept his thoughts to himself as he pressed on through the loose sand,
giving an occasional glance through the trees to see what course the
Malays were pursuing, and seeing clearly that their vessels were coming
steadily along, evidently with a pleasant wind, while among the trees
there was not a breath of air, and as they tramped on through the loose
sand he could see that his companions were beginning to suffer.

There was nothing to be done, however, but to keep on and try to get
round to Crater Bay. The stowaway began once about it being impossible
that day, and Mark felt that it would be a tremendous task; but even if
they did not, there was the prospect of their getting on past several of
the points and well out of the sight of the Malays, so that if they only
got far enough to encounter the boat returning to camp they could warn
the occupants and then take to the woods.

Mark explained all this to comfort his companions as they tramped
wearily on, and he had been successful in his efforts, giving comfort to
his own mind as well, when it was swept away at a stroke, for Jimpny
crept close up to him and laid his hand upon his arm.

"I say, Mr Mark, sir," he said in a whisper, "do you expect to meet
them all as they comes back?"

"Yes."

"But Billy Widgeon told me this morning when they started as they was
coming back t'other way."

CHAPTER FORTY TWO.

HOW THEY STRUGGLED TO CRATER BAY.

The stowaway's news fell like a thunderbolt, and Mark felt a curious
chilling sensation come over him, as he tried to keep it from his mother
and Mrs O'Halloran. But the latter was quick at seeing there was
something wrong, and she stopped and