of the door, and it was thrown
open, while I closed my lids, so dazzling did the light of the lanterns
which were held up above the heads of Jarette and Walters seem to my
aching eyes.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

"Here, what's all this noise about?" cried Jarette, roughly; and his
words gave me intense relief, for I knew that he must be in ignorance of
all that had taken place.

"I was not aware, sir, that we were making any noise," said Mr Frewen,
coldly.

"Then what's the matter, doctor?"

"You can see, sir. The lad has been taken ill. No wonder, shut up in
this stifling cabin."

"Humph! My faith, yes. One is enough. Make him well, and he shall
have another to himself to-morrow."

"Not if I know it," I said to myself, as I lay with my eyes closed,
thinking how I would sham being too ill to leave the doctor's cabin; but
directly after feeling quite in dismay, for it struck me that if I were
not taken away, Mr Frewen might be, and then all our proposed plans
would be upset.

I opened my eyes with quite a start just then, for to my great delight a
gruff voice exclaimed--

"He arn't ill. Wants a bucket of cold water drawn and soused over him.
That'd put him right."

"You speak when you're spoken to, Bob Hampton," said Jarette, with a
snarl.

"All right, skipper--cap'n, I mean; all right."

"Yes, it's all right," I said to myself, with a sigh of relief, as I
closed my eyes again and lay quite still, listening to what passed.

"Well," said Jarette, "what are you going to do? Oh, that is some stuff
you are going to give him."

"Yes, you need not wait," said Mr Frewen, quietly. "But you had better
leave me a light."

"What for? Set the ship on fire?"

"If I wanted to set the ship on fire, I have plenty of matches," said
Mr Frewen.

His imitation of the renegade Frenchman's pronunciation of the word
"ship" was almost involuntary, and he told me afterwards how he
regretted making such a slip, for Jarette winced and darted a malignant
look at him which was not pleasant to see.

He did not speak again, but stood looking on while Mr Frewen held some
water to my lips, and bathed my temples, both of which proceedings were
quite needless, for I was quite recovered now from my faintness, and he
ended by helping me to lie down in the cot.

Upon seeing this, Jarette said something shortly to his followers and
they drew back, the door was closed, and we were in total darkness once
again.

"And all th