s all?" as the other
man--who now proved to be Rogers--took my knife away also. "Very well.
Now, captin dear, ye may get upon your feet; but--understand me--av ye
attimpts to lay hands upon either ov us, the other'll shoot ye through
the head widout waitin' to say, `By your lave.' Arrah, now, it's kilt
he is, I do belave!" as the fellow rose from my prostrate body and saw
that I made no movement--for all this time he had kept so tight a hold
upon my throat that he fairly strangled me, and, though I still, in a
dreamy way, heard him speaking, my strength had entirely left me, and I
was scarcely conscious of my surroundings.

"I'll fire a shot to let the others know that it's all right, and then
we'll have to carry him as far as the boats," remarked Rogers. "Perhaps
a dip in the water may bring him round."

Such extreme measures, however, proved unnecessary; for, my throat once
released, my senses began to come back to me, and by the time that we
had reached the shore of the islet I was once more able to stand.

Arrived here, I was compelled to enter the empty gig, and was carried
across to the opposite shore of the creek, where the ladies still
remained; my order to bring them across having been countermanded in a
whisper by one of the men, the moment that I had turned my back. On
reaching the other side I was ordered out of the boat, a loaded revolver
being exhibited as a hint to me to hasten my movements; but, as I
stumbled forward over the thwarts, Joe offered me the support of his
arm, murmuring in my ear, as I stepped out on the sand--

"Cheer up, cap'n! This here's a most unexpected move, and no mistake;
but the ship ain't gone yet; and, from what I heard passin' among the
others, just now, afore you come up, I ain't by no means sure as they'll
leave to-night. Some of 'em is that greedy that they wants to stop and
have a shy at the other treasure; and if they does, there's no knowin'
what may happen betwixt now and then. And if they makes up their minds
to go, _I_ don't go with 'em. I'll slip overboard, and swim ashore, if
there's no other way of joinin' you."

I had only time to murmur a word of thanks for this expression of
sympathy, when he left me and returned to the boat, which immediately
shoved off for the islet.

The ladies--who, with the nursemaids and children, still stood waiting
to be conveyed to the ship--saw, by the actions of the men, that there
was something amiss, and now approached m