o cabin. The next minute
he appeared upon the poop-deck, his figure thrown up by the light and
plainly seen as he ran here and there, and then disappeared, to be seen
at the stern-window.

"They're nowhere about," he cried.

"How rum now, aren't it?" muttered Bob Hampton. "Now I do call that
strange."

"Didn't either of you see them?" shouted Jarette.

"No."

"Did you go into their cabin?"

"No, no."

"They must be somewhere."

"All right then," shouted a voice. "You go and find 'em. We're off."

Jarette was back at the window in an instant.

"Stop!" he cried, in his clear sharp voice.

"Pull away, my lads, we've had enough of this," cried the same voice.
"We don't want to be blowed to bits."

We heard every word clearly, and the hurried splashing of the oars.

"I told you to stop," cried Jarette, authoritatively.

"Pull, lads! She'll bust up directly, and suck us down. Pull!"

"Stop!" roared Jarette again, as the oars, splashed rapidly, and the
boats' heads both appeared in the light, as they left the ship.

"Why, we shall have to save him ourselves," I thought in horror, as
something seemed to rise in my throat, so enraged was I with the
cowardly crew.

There was a sharp report, a wild cry, and a man who was standing upright
in the bows of the first boat toppled over and fell into the sea with a
splash of golden water.

The men ceased rowing.

"One," cried Jarette sharply. "I can hit eleven more without reloading,
for I never miss. There, go on, my lads. I don't ask you to come
back."

A low murmuring sound arose, and we saw that instead of the boats going
on forward they were returning into the shadow once again, as Jarette
shouted aloud mockingly--

"One less to row. Why didn't you pick him up?"

Again the low murmuring growl arose, and my mouth felt hot and dry, as
with eager eyes I vainly searched the surface of the water, just where
there was the plain demarcation between black shadow and the golden
light.

"The wretch!" I thought. "Why don't they rise against him?" But a
fresh current of thought arose, and in a confused way I could not help
thinking that it was fair retaliation. The man who had been shot and
fell into the sea was evidently the one who had incited the two boats'
crews to leave Jarette to a horrible death. Was he not justified in
what he did?

Then as with a strange contraction at my heart I realised the fact that
Jarette's victim had not risen to s