search can't be made just now.
And we don't want it now. When we do want it, I can find it. Now
listen to me, and I'll show you how we can do the thing properly.'

"A wild impulse to rush past them, rouse my husband, and tell him of
the murderous plot that was brewing against his life and mine for a
moment or two held possession of me, Mr. Barry; but I resisted it only
through fear of their seeing me; would to God I had acted upon that
impulse, for I believe the crew would have stood by us. . . . But I
lay perfectly quiet, and listened while that smiling fiend Rawlings
unfolded his dreadful scheme of treachery and murder to his fellow
villains.

"They could do nothing, he said, until the brig arrived at Sydney.
Then after my husband (whom he called a 'silly, unsuspecting ass') had
seen the commodore, bought all the stores and trade goods needed for
the native divers, and also the diving suits and pumping gear, he
(Rawlings) would find a man capable of navigating the vessel, and then,
he said, with a laugh that sent a thrill of terror through me, 'we can
get rid of him and his wife with little trouble, once we are at sea
again. They will, I think, both fall overboard soon after we leave
Sydney--eh, Paul? And then, my friends, we shall find Gurden's chart
and written description of the lagoon easily enough, and with a
navigator on board we shall continue the voyage, and sail to the
fortune awaiting us.'

"'How can you get such a man without exciting wonder in the captain's
mind?' said Barradas.

"'Leave it to me, my dear, doubting Manuel,' replied Rawlings in his
mocking voice.

"At that moment four bells struck, and another native sailor came aft
to take the wheel, and I, after waiting for a minute or two, and
hearing no further talk, concluded that Rawlings and the Greek had left
the poop, and only Barradas remained.

"I rose and peered cautiously around the corner of the wheel-house, to
see if I could escape below without being observed, and then the Greek
suddenly sprang on me from behind, grasped me by the waist, and
carrying me to the rail, flung me overboard.

"When I came to the surface the brig was quite a hundred yards or more
away from me, and I could only dimly discern her through the darkness.
I raised my voice and screamed and screamed again, but in a few minutes
she had disappeared into the night; and then I tried to give my soul to
God, for I knew that the cruel wretches--one of whom had thro