hand, so if----"

"Hush up, Mr. Trask, for God's sake!" implored Jarrow, stepping
over to Trask and putting his hand on his arm. "There is trouble
brewing, but I don't know what it's about. I'm holdin' things off
till the mornin'. I don't look for nothin' to come of it."

"Trouble? What sort of trouble?" demanded Trask, amazed at the
captain's revelation.

"I don't know," admitted Jarrow. "May be everythin' and nothin'.
It's that Peth's too thick with the crew, and it's bad when a mate
gits to standin' out with the fo'c's'le agin the master."

"Do you want me to understand that it's--mutiny?"

"I said I don't know what it is, Mr. Trask."

"How about Bevins? Is he in on it, too?"

"All hands. They're off there in the dinghy now, and I don't know
what they're up to."

"So you're not putting out a kedge?"

"No, sir. That was to git you back to your bunk. I was out on deck
before you was, and Peth sneaked the dinghy. I suppose they've got
some fool idea that there's a lot of gold on the island, and----"

Jarrow broke off and said no more. Trask thought he had heard
something and waited for him to go on, but after a long pause the
captain did not seem inclined to say anything more, but took long
pulls on his cigar, which he kept shaded from the sea behind his
hand.

Trask's mind worked rapidly. If anything, the truth from Jarrow
that there was danger from Peth and the crew had steadied him, and
while he realized his helpless position if Jarrow were deceiving
him, he at least had proof of a desperate situation aboard the
schooner.

"What do you think they would do if they found gold on the island,
captain?"

"Don't ask me. Might come back and burn the _Nuestra_."

"Sounds interesting," said Trask.

"Mebbe you think I'm jokin' of you?" said Jarrow.

"Not at all. I wouldn't put murder beyond that lot. There's
something I've wanted to tell you since we left Manila, but I
didn't want to do anybody an injustice."

"What's that?"

"Somebody stole one of my automatic pistols before I'd been aboard
a quarter of an hour."

"No!"

"Yes. It was taken from my bag in my room."

"Mighty Nelson! You should ha' told me, Mr. Trask! Who do ye think
got it?"

"I've every reason to suspect Mr. Peth. It was missing right after
he moved his stuff out of my room. The bag had been opened and
closed again very carefully, strapped and buckled. The man who took
it had plenty of time and wanted to make sure he wasn't sus