ed that Rawlings and the
Greek were safely secured in one of the huts with half a dozen of the
Tebuan people guarding them.

Meanwhile Mose the steward had carefully removed all traces of the
struggle from the cabin, whilst the native crew quickly washed down the
ensanguined deck and removed the three dead men, so that Mrs. Tracey
should not see them. Presently she appeared followed by Barradas, her
face still wet with tears.

Placing a chair for her on the after-deck, the chief officer told her
in as few words as possible of the fight on the hatch and the death of
Warner and the three natives.

"We must at once consider what is to be done with Warner's people," he
added. "To land them at any of these islands would only mean further
bloodshed."

"Indeed, yes," assented Mrs. Tracey; "the Tebuan people would take a
quick revenge for the lives of the three men he killed. We cannot
consign them to the mercy of these natives--for no mercy will they
have. Can we not keep them on board until we can land them on some
islands where they will at least be safe?"

"That certainly is what we should do; but I must consult with Barradas
and Velo. The difficulty is this: if we leave Velo with six of the
Gilbert Islanders behind us to protect your interests on Arrecifos we
shall be seven men less on board, and these Solomon Islanders are not
for one moment to be trusted. We cannot put the poor devils in irons
to swelter in the hold; and yet, to prevent them from suddenly rising
and getting possession of the ship, we shall have to be constantly on
our guard, and our crew will be obliged to go armed day and night.
Only six years ago a party of seven Solomon Islands natives massacred
the entire crew of an Australian trading barque--seventeen altogether.
But here are Barradas and Velo. Let us hear their opinion."

"I think, sir," said the Spaniard after he had heard his superior on
the question under discussion, "that we cannot do anything else but
keep them aboard; we can't leave them here to be slaughtered by the
Tebuan people. Now, most of them come from Bouka, at the north end of
Bougainville Island, and Bougainville lies right in our track for
Sydney. That they will be dangerous passengers I know; but if they are
disarmed and well watched and the captain and the Greek don't get
speech of them, we need have no fear."

Velo shook his head. "It would be running a great risk," he said;
"these sixteen men have no regard f