h?"

Lynton laughed softly, and in obedience to the captain's request all
took their places again about the fire, to lie listening till the men
returned, when, to Brace's great surprise, next morning at sunrise he
found himself being shaken by his brother, and ready to ask whether the
events of the night had been another dream.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

FRYING-PAN TO FIRE.

A good breakfast was eaten upon that eventful morning, Dan having plenty
of materials for producing a capital meal, and, to judge from
appearances, the men were quite ready to settle down to their tasks
again, as they made no sign.

Brace had hard work to keep from casting uneasy glances at them, but he
did pretty well, joining in the chat over the meal, and listening to a
yarn from the captain about how he had traced out the deep channel years
before in just such a shallow river as this, and how he was going to
find one now.

"This'll be ten times as easy," he said, "for we only want water enough
for these boats. I wanted water enough then for a big schooner, heavily
laden.--What's the matter, sir?"

This was to Brace, who passed the question off.

"Nothing, nothing," he said aloud. "Go on."

"Oh, there's nothing more to tell. I found a winding channel by
sounding from the schooner's boat with an eighteen-foot bamboo," said
the captain loudly; and then, as Sir Humphrey was speaking to Briscoe,
he bent forward to pick up a biscuit, and whispered to Brace:

"What was it, my lad?"

"Half the guns and rifles have been taken away! and I think they're
hidden behind those bushes close to the boats."

"Very likely," said the captain, without moving a muscle. "All right,
sir, all right. My lads have got gold dust in their eyes, and can't see
right. We'll dust it out of 'em by-and-by."

The by-and-by was not long after, for the captain suddenly cried out:

"Now, my lads, lighten the cutter all you can. Jem, you and three more
will man her. Like to come with me, Mr Brace?"

"Yes, I'll come," said the young man firmly, and he gazed anxiously at
the men to see what was to happen next.

Nothing. No one stirred till the captain sprang to his feet.

"Did you hear me?" he roared.

For answer the crew clustered together on the shore, and there was a
quick whispering, several of the men urging Jem to speak.

This he did at last, desperately, his words following one another in a
hurried way.

"We've been thinking, captain, that now we've