"Bart and I have been thinking over our position here," said Abel, "and we have determined to go." "To go!" said Dinny. "Why, where would ye foind a bether place?" "That has to be seen," said Abel; "but we can't stay here, and we want to know where the nearest port to which we could sail and then get ship for home." "Get ship for the prison, ye mane!" cried Dinny, indignantly. "They'd send the lot of us back, and in less than a month you and Bart there would be hoeing among the bushes, young Jack here would be thried and punished for helping ye to escape, and as for me--well," he added, with a comical grin, "I don't, know what they'd do with me, but I'm sure they wouldn't give me my promotion." "But we shall starve if we stay here," said Abel, sternly. "And is it shtarve wid you two such fishermen? Get out wid ye! Let's build a hut before the rainy time comes, and settle down. Here's as foine an estate as a gentleman need wish to have; and some day wan of us 'll go for a holiday to Oireland or Shcotland, and persuade four illigant ladies to come wid us and be married; and what more could a boy wish for then, eh, Masther Jack? What do you say, Bart?" "That we must go," said Bart, gruffly. "Let's think it over first," said Dinny. "At all events ye can't go for months to come; for ye'd be taken for eshcaped prisoners at wanst; so, as we've got no vittles, let's tak the boat and go out and catch some fish." Abel frowned, and seemed disposed to continue the discussion; but everyone else was silent, and he rose slowly, ready enough, from old associations, to obey a command. So the little party walked slowly down toward where the boat lay hidden, ready to row it out to the edge of one of the weed-hung reefs, where fish were plentiful; and in spite of the roughness of their hooks and lines a pretty good dish could always be secured. They had reached the end of the ravine, where the trees and bushes grew thickly, and Jack, who was first, was in the act of passing out on to the sands of the little bay, when a great hand seized him by the shoulder, and he was dragged back. His hand went to his pocket again in the instinct of self-defence, for it seemed to be a repetition of Dinny's attack; but, turning sharply, he found that it was Bart who had dragged him back among the trees, and stood pointing seaward, where the solution of their difficulty appeared in, as it were, a warning to escape; for at about half a mile from the shore a white-winged cutter was coming rapidly toward the little bay; and as she careened over they could see that she was occupied by at least a dozen men. "Quick, the boat!" cried Abel, excitedly. "Are ye mad!" cried Dinny. "They could see us, and would be here before we could got round the point." "Right," growled Bart.