ward. And as he struggled, he gave gasping cries.

"What's happened?" cried Locke.

"He killum cap'n," said Shanghai Tom, and stooping down, picked up
a knife. It was a long knife from the galley rack.

Marjorie ran from the cabin, overcome with horror, and Trask
followed, with the intention of getting the long boat away to save
Dinshaw. But as he paused, poised on the bulwark to jump down into
the boat, he looked aft. There was no trace of Dinshaw.

"Go to the taffrail and look," he called to Marjorie. She hastened
to the poop-deck while he got the boat off, which swung with the
tide, and drifted aft as he paddled with the big oar, standing in
the stern.

For an instant there was a white object visible against the dark
water, as if a fish had broken the surface. Whatever it was, it was
being swept away swiftly by the tide. Before Trask could reach the
spot where it had appeared, the water was smoothed out in a steely
sheen. Dinshaw had been whirled away to the coral depths below.

It was growing dark as Trask rowed back. As he came alongside the
schooner he saw Locke standing beside Marjorie.

"Dead," said Locke.

From shore there came a confused chorus of cries. Trask listened,
and across the darkening waters he saw a white spot drifting out
slowly, and then in the evening hush heard the clatter of oars.

"The cartridges!" he cried. "They're coming out, Peth and the
others. With Jarrow dead, we've a fight on our hands!"

He leaped over the bulwark, and dashed into Jarrow's cabin, to
regain the ammunition he had surrendered. A blazing match revealed
Jarrow lying on his back, his face distorted and spotted. Trask
found the cartridges loose in the captain's coat pocket, and
hurried out of the cabin.

CHAPTER XV

AN END AND A BEGINNING

A red moon rose out of the sea, and threw a fiery trail over the
heaving wastes that reached to the schooner's side. Her hull and
masts stood out in bold relief like a vessel in silhouette before
the glare of a volcano.

Trask, Locke, and Shanghai Tom stood on the starboard side abreast
of the foremast where they could see over the bows and still be in
a position to resist from either side when the crew attempted to
board. Locke had a pair of iron belaying pins, and while Tom had a
similar weapon, he also had a galley knife. Marjorie stood just
outside the cabin door, where she could retreat inside and protect
herself against bullets.

The boat came forward slo