or life, and unless they are kept
heavily ironed the brig will always be in danger of capture. And if
they find they have no chance of surprising and murdering every one on
board, they will not hesitate to set fire to the ship and be burned
with her."

Barry, however, believed with the second mate that the crew would be
able to manage, and so, much to Mrs. Tracey's satisfaction, it was
decided to keep them on board and land them at some part of
Bougainville.

Then, exhausted by the events of the day, Mrs. Tracey retired to her
cabin, leaving Barry and the Spaniard to snatch a few hours of sleep on
deck under the awning.

At daylight the two big boats were sent off, manned by some of the
Tebuan people, to bring up the shell collected by Mrs. Tracey, as Barry
did not care about sailing down in the brig and there was still much to
do on the south-east islet. Then the whaleboats were loaded with
stores and sent ashore; for Mrs. Tracey and Barry had decided to take
possession of Arrecifos by virtue of the Protection Order (given to
Tracey in Sydney by the commodore) which had been found in Rawlings'
cabin, together with all the other papers belonging to the dead
captain. Velo with six men was to remain, and with the help of the
willing Tebuan people continue to dive for shell, and await the return
of the brig in six months' time.

So at nine o'clock the red ensign of England was run up on a flag pole
in the centre of the little village amid the cheers of the crew--cheers
which were bitter to the ears of the two men who were lying, bound and
guarded, in one of the native huts, awaiting to be taken on board
again, and Barry nailed a copy of the Protection Order on the bole of a
stately coco-palm, handing the original to Velo for safe keeping and
telling him how to act in the event of a British man-of-war entering
the lagoon. Then Mrs. Tracey, standing beside Barry, addressed the
people who had been so faithful to her, urging them to remember that
Velo was "a true man" to her, and that they must protect and care for
him, for he would that day be married to Pani, according to the fashion
of white people. Toea would go with her mistress to Sydney and remain
with her for perhaps a year or more.

"So that she may comfort me in my loneliness," said Mrs. Tracey; "for
my husband is dead and I have no child, and it will be good for me to
have Toea, so that I may hear the sound of the tongue of Ujilong and
think of ye all.