ng and wondering why
Jarette did not go aft. Could he see me?

Just when I felt as if I could bear the suspense no longer, I heard him
move off, whistling softly, and as soon as I dared I descended and
followed, creeping along step by step, and listening with all my ears
for the faint whistling sound to which he gave vent from time to time.

There it was plainly enough, just abaft the main-mast, and he seemed to
have stopped there and to be looking over the bulwark--I merely guessed
as much, for the sound had stopped, and of course I stopped too.

To my intense satisfaction I found that I was right, for the faint
sibillation began again, and was continued along the deck, till, as I
followed, it paused again, grew louder, and I knew that the scoundrel
was coming back.

But he altered his mind again, turned and went aft--into the saloon, I
thought for a few moments, for the faint whistling ceased, and then
began again high up.

There was no mistaking that. He had mounted to the poop-deck, and was
walking towards the wheel. Young as I was then, I grasped the fact that
the man was restless and worried lest some attempt should be made to
recover the ship, and unable to trust one of his men, he was traversing
the deck uneasily, keeping strict watch himself.

This was bad for my purpose, for it was too dark to see him, and at any
moment I felt he might come upon me, and my attempt be defeated.

But here was an opportunity I had hardly dared to reckon upon, and the
minute his steps died out I hurried to the companion-way, entered, and
saw that there was a dim light in the captain's cabin at the end of the
saloon.

This seemed to prove that my ideas were right, and that Jarette had
taken possession of this cabin now for his own use, and at all hazards I
was about to hurry there, when I caught sight of another faint light on
my right--a mere line of light which came from beneath the cabin-door,
and told me plainly enough that this was the one in which Miss Denning
was kept a prisoner. Whether her brother was there too I could not
tell, for there was not a sound.

I hesitated and stopped, for the inclination was terribly strong upon me
to tap and whisper a word or two about help being at hand. It was not a
minute, but long enough to deprive me of the chance of finding out
whether there were arms in the cabin, for as I hesitated I heard a light
step overhead, and knew that Jarette was returning from his uneasy
round