respectfully asked leave for a few words with
her. He had apologised for his action, but explained that it was
necessary--the only way he had left, he said, of protecting his own
interests, and safeguarding a treasure which belonged to him and no one
else, if it belonged to any living man. It had seemed to her that it was
a monomania with him. His eyes had gleamed so, as he spoke of it, that
she had felt a little frightened for the first time--for he seemed like
a madman on the subject.

While he had been talking, she had made up her mind what she would do.
She would tell him the plain truth about her doubloons, and offer him
what remained of them as a ransom. This she did, and was able at last
half to persuade him that, so far as any one knew, that was all the
treasure there was, and that the digging among the ruins of the old
house was a mere fancy of her father's. There might be something there
or not--and she went so far as to give her word of honour that, if
anything was found, he should have his share of it.

It was rather a woman's way, she admitted, but she thought that, so long
as she kept Tobias near the island, some favouring incident might happen
at any moment--that the proffered ransom, in fact, might prove the bait
to a trap.

Tobias had seemed impressed, and promised his answer in the morning,
leaving her to sleep--with a sentry at her cabin door. She had slept
soundly, and wakened only at dawn. As soon as she was up, Tobias had
come to her, saying that he had accepted her offer, and asking her to
direct him to her treasure.

This she had done, and, to avoid passing the settlement, they had taken
the course round the eastern end of the island. As they had approached
the cave (and here Calypso turned a quizzical smile on me, which no one,
of course, understood but ourselves), a sloop was seen approaching them
from the westward ... and here she stopped and turned to Charlie
Webster.

"Now," said the "King," "we shall hear the Story of Apollo--or, let us
say, rather Ajax--the Far-Darter--He of the Arrow that never missed its
mark."

And Charlie Webster, more at home with deeds than words, blushed and
blushed through his part of the story, telling how--having called at the
settlement--he had got our message from Sweeney, and was making up the
coast for the hidden creek. He had spied what he felt sure was Tobias's
schooner--had called on him "In the King's Name" to surrender--("I had
in my pocket the