y and read it after. If he
does for me--curse him!--you keep what I've given you. Yes, keep it;
it's my last Will and Testament, upon my soul. But you ought to go
half shares with little Jenny; you ought, you know. You'll find out
where she lives in that there letter. But you'll never give it up to
him. Swear it. Swear it again."

Again I promised.

"Mind you, if you do, I'll haunt you. I'll curse you dying, and
that's an awful thing to happen to a man. Look over again.
He mayn't be coming--perhaps he'll go through to the next beach, and
then we'll run for it."

Again I peered over, but drew back as if shot; for just below me was
a black head with glittering earrings, and its owner was steadily
coming up the path towards us.

CHAPTER IV.

TELLS HOW A SONG WAS SUNG AND A KNIFE DRAWN UPON DEAD MAN'S ROCK.

There was no escape. I have said that the ascent of Dead Man's Rock
was possible, but that was upon the northern side, from which we were
now utterly cut off. Hemmed in as we were between the sheer cliff
and the precipice, we could only sit still and await the man's
coming. Utter fear had apparently robbed my companion of all his
faculties, for he sat, a stony image of despair, looking with
staring, vacant eyes at the spot where his enemy would appear; while
as for me, dreading I knew not what, I clung to the rock and listened
breathlessly to the sound of the footsteps as they came nearer and
nearer. Presently, within about fifteen feet, as I guess, of our
hiding-place, they suddenly ceased, and a full, rich voice broke out
in song--

"Sing hey! for the dead man's eyes, my lads;
Sing ho! for the dead man's hand;
For his glittering eyes are the salt sea's prize,
And his fingers clutch the sand, my lads--
Sing ho! how they grip the land!

"Sing hey! for the dead man's lips, my lads;
Sing ho! for the dead man's soul.
At his red, red lips the merrymaid sips
For the kiss that his sweetheart stole, my lads--
Sing ho! for the bell shall toll!"

The words were full and clear upon the morning air--so clear that
their weird horror, together with the strangeness of the tune (which
had a curious catch in the last line but one) and, above all, the
sweetness of the voice, held me spellbound. I glanced again at my
companion. He had not changed his position, but still sat
motionless, save that his dry lips were again working and twitching
a