ve we, Mister Gascoyne, or
Mister Durward, that we shall not be seized and made to walk the plank,
or perform some similarly fantastic feat--in which, mayhap, our feet
will have less to do with the performance than our necks--when you get
into power?"

"You have no guarantee whatever," returned Gascoyne, "except the word of
a pirate!"

"You say truth," cried Ole, springing up and pacing the deck with
unwonted energy, while a troubled and somewhat fierce expression settled
on his usually good-humoured countenance. "You say truth, and I think
we have been ill-advised when we took this step--for my part, I regard
myself as little better than a maniac for putting myself obstinately,
not to say deliberately, into the very jaws of a lion, perhaps I should
say a tiger. But mark my words, Gascoyne, _alias_ Durward," (here he
stopped suddenly before the pirate, who was leaning in a careless
attitude against the mast, and looked him full in the face,) "if you
play us false, as I have no hesitation in saying I believe that you
fully intend to do, your life will not be worth a pewter shilling."

"I am yet in your power, Mr Thorwald," said Gascoyne; "if your friends
agree to it, I cannot prevent your putting about and returning to Sandy
Cove. But in that case the missionary's child _will be lost_!"

"I do not believe that my child's safety is so entirely dependent on
you," said Mr Mason, who had listened in silence to the foregoing
dialogue; "she is in the hands of that God on whom you have turned your
back, and with whom all things are possible. But I feel disposed to
trust you, Gascoyne, and I feel thus, because of what was said of you by
Mrs Stuart, in whose good sense I place implicit confidence. I would
advise Mr Thorwald to wait patiently until he sees more cause than he
does at present for distrust."

Gascoyne had turned round and, during the greater part of this speech,
had gazed intently towards the horizon.

"We shall have rough weather to-night," said he; "but our work will be
done before it comes, I hope. Up with the helm now, Henry, and slack
off the sheets; it is dark enough to allow us to creep in without being
observed. Manton will of course be in the only harbour in the island;
we must therefore go round to the other side and take the risk of
running on the reefs."

"Risk!" exclaimed Henry; "I thought you knew all the passages about the
island?"

"So I do, lad--all the passages; but I don't profess