ody, except
one leg, which from the knee downwards was partly raised and showed a
bone protruding from a rough raw-hide boot, was mercifully concealed
from our sight by the coarse jumper and grey canvas trousers of a
convict.

Presently Walter looked up, and cried out in a strange, hoarse voice,--

'Go away, Master Tom, you must not look. Do you and Master Will wait for
us on the rocks, but first tell Billy to come here with our clothes.'

Will and I at once obeyed, glad to get away, and hurrying round the base
of the hill we returned to 'King Billy,' who, poor simple savage, had
given us up for lost, and was crouched up in a-heap on the rocks, making
a low whining noise like the cry of a very young puppy. He did truly
dance for joy when he heard our voices, and then at once, without asking
us what had happened, went off to Walter and Harry, taking their clothes
with him.

Will and I dressed ourselves, and then we sat down to wait.

'Tom,' said Will, who had now recovered his composure, 'I am sure it is
poor Tom May who is lying there. Do you remember a red silk handkerchief
which mother gave him last Christmas Day? Well, there is one exactly
like it round _its_ neck. I was too frightened to look closer, but Tom
always wore his handkerchief round his neck in a sailor's knot. And
then, too,' and here Will's eyes filled with tears and he began to sob,
'_it_ had bright red hair... it had nearly all fallen off, and...'

'Oh, Will,' I cried, 'don't tell me any more! I feel so sick.'

Nearly half an hour passed, and then we saw Harry and Trenfield, holding
each other's hand like two children, coming towards us. They sat down
near us, and then the young convict placed his big, brown hands over his
face, and heavy sobs broke from his broad chest.

'Oh, God! Master Harry!' he cried, 'is there no justice in the world?
To die there, in that awful place, like a rat in a trap! oh, it is
dreadful, dreadful! And then I thought that he was long ago far away
from here--a free man.'

'Do you think those two other men threw him down there, Walter?' asked
my eldest brother, almost in a whisper.

'No, sir,' he replied, catching his breath. 'Why should they murder the
man who alone was capable of taking the boat upon such a long voyage?
This is what I think, sir. Poor Tom, instead of coming down in the boat
with the other two, left them on Saturday and walked here so that he
might light a fire on the top of Little Nobby's on Sunda