of bottles
belonging to Mr Frewen's store across the little opening, and took down
another bottle to remove the stopper and begin sniffing at it as there
was a sudden rattling at the door, which was thrown open, and Jarette
entered. He left a bodyguard of five or six well-armed men outside,
among whom I saw Bob Hampton, and I felt so enraged against him that I
fixed him with my eye, but he seemed in no wise abashed, looking boldly
back at me, and giving me quite a friendly nod.

"Treacherous brute!" I muttered, and turned away to find Jarette
looking at me searchingly.

"Not dead yet then?" he said, with a half-laugh. Then to Mr Frewen--

"Well, doctor, you've patched yourself up, I see. What do you say to
come under my flag?"

"Prison flag!" said Mr Frewen, contemptuously.

"Oh no, my good friend; in my little kingdom I am going to found. What
do you say to a lovely spice island, all sunshine and flowers, where I
can start a new civilisation? I offer you a fine position there as the
only doctor. What do you say?"

"No, of course," replied Mr Frewen, contemptuously.

"Ah, you'll think better of it. I've started the idea too suddenly for
you now you're sore; but you'll come round, and the sooner you do the
more comfortable you'll be. It must come to that. You'll have no other
chance."

"We shall see," said Mr Frewen, coldly.

Jarette looked at him sharply, and then all about the narrow cabin
before fixing his eyes again upon my fellow-prisoner.

"Look here," he said, in a sharp, fierce way. "You're thinking of
escaping--listen to this, boy," he added, turning sharply to me, "it
will do for you too. Now don't think any more about such a _betise_,
doctor," he continued, "for it is of no use. There is no escape for
you. If you tried to break out I have men on the watch whose orders are
to shoot down any one who tries to get away, and that shooting down
means pitching overboard afterwards. It would save me a great deal of
trouble, but I don't want any more fighting and killing: I want peace.
There, you can think it over. You had better be friends, for it would
hurt my feelings to have to set you afloat in an open boat with those
brute bullies, Berriman and Brymer. Think it over, man. Your friend,
Mr Preddle, is sure to join me, for I can find him a pond or a river in
which to keep his fish."

He backed out of the cabin, and the door was closed, while as we
listened we heard the party move on t