"I beg pardon, Captain Studwick," said the mate, sharply; "but it was my watch below. You said you would see to the first watch with Oakum." "So I did, so I did," cried the captain. "Here, Oakum." "You said I could go below, Capen," said Oakum, gruffly. "Did you know anything of this?" "If I'd know'd anything of it, I should have come and told you," growled Oakum. "Didn't I give the alarm as soon as I know'd?" "Yes, yes, yes," cried the captain. "There, I beg your pardon, Mr Jones. Don't take any notice, Oakum. It's enough to make any man mad. How am I to face Mr Parkley and Mr Pugh when they come off in the morning?" "Lads on'y gone off to have a good drink, p'raps, sir," suggested Oakum. "Drink? No. They've been got at and bribed, or persuaded not to go. The scoundrels! I'll have them before the nearest magistrate and punish them for this." "Got to ketch 'em first," growled Oakum to himself. "Look here, when did you find this out?" exclaimed the captain. "When you heerd me shout," said Oakum. "'Pollo here thought he heard a noise, and we came and looked." "And I see de boat go astern wif all de men in, sah," said 'Pollo, importantly. "It's a planned thing, or the men would not have gone off like that," said the captain. "Mark my words, John, that foreigner's at the bottom of this. Did either of you see him come near the ship?" "I did, sah," cried 'Pollo. "You did?" exclaimed the captain. "Yes, sah, jus' 'fore dark I see um get in boat 'low de wharf, and two men row boat wif um." "Are you sure?" "Yes, sah, I quite sure. I see um sit in de stern wrap up in um cloak, and smoke cigar. But he nebber come nigh de ship." "I thought as much," groaned the captain. "Here, go below, John. The night air's chilly. There's nothing the matter, my child," he continued tenderly, "only some of the crew have absconded." For just then Bessy Studwick, very quiet and trembling, had come to his side. "Well, gentlemen, I'm very sorry, but I could not help it, and now I shall have to ask you to share the watch with Mr Jones and myself. Oakum and 'Pollo, go below. Oakum, you will take the next watch with Mr Jones; Mr Meldon, or you Mr Wilson, will, perhaps, join me in the morning watch." Both gentlemen expressed their willingness, and the night passed off without further misadventure. Captain Studwick was quite right, for the Cuban had hovered about the schooner until darkness set in, when, watching his opportunity, he caught the attention of one of the men, who absolutely refused to listen to him at first, but as Laure bribed higher, and vowed that it was a mad voyage, of which he had himself repented, as he would not expose the men to the risks of the deadly coast where the treasure lay, the man began to listen. "There are fevers always on those shores, of the most deadly kind," he whispered; "and I shall feel as if I had sent a party of good British seamen to their death."