"All right!" he said, and then he reeled and would have fallen if Mr Preddle had not caught him. "Don't!" he cried, pettishly. "I mean, thank you. It was a horrible thought. I saw some one come out of my cabin last evening, I'm sure now. I thought then it was fancy. Some one has been--to steal--the case of cartridges I brought." He walked feebly but quickly to his cabin, shut the door after him, and then Mr Preddle went to his cabin, to come back directly, shaking his head. "Some one has taken all mine but one," he said. "The lid is off the box, and this is the only one left." "But your gun is loaded?" "Yes, there are two in that," replied Mr Preddle, "and I hope Mr Denning will be more fortunate in his search." At that moment Mr Denning made his appearance, and from his aspect we all thought that his supply had been taken too, but his face lit-up as he exclaimed-- "They could not find them. The cartridge-box was at the bottom of the locker." "Ha!" cried Mr Frewen, triumphantly. "How many have you?" "A hundred, for I have not fired off one." "And what bore is your gun?" "Twelve-bore." "And yours?" "Sixteen." "That's the same size as mine," said Mr Preddle, quietly. "I'm afraid those of yours would not fit." "Fit? No!" cried Mr Frewen, impatiently. "They would be absolutely useless." "And of course we could not load in the old-fashioned way if we took out the powder," said Mr Preddle. The doctor turned away, and I saw him look anxiously toward the barricade he had so carefully built up. Then gravely-- "We have the charges in our guns, gentlemen; when they are expended we must trust to Mr Denning." The captain spoke again-- "Have you examined as to what provisions and water we have, Brymer?" "Yes, sir, enough for about three days, without counting anything our passenger friends have in the way of private stores--preserved meat, delicacies, or the like." "Yes, but the water?" said the captain, naming the grave necessity of life in that hot climate. "I must frankly say a very short supply, sir." There was another ominous silence, as all thought of our numbers. Then Mr Frewen spoke-- "This all sounds very bad, Captain Berriman, but we are not going to give in. The ammunition and provisions are on board the ship, and when a besieged garrison runs short, it makes sallies to obtain fresh supplies. But we have not arrived at that starvation point yet. Before then the ship may be under the rule of Captain Berriman once again." "Hist!" I cried, in an excited whisper, and I pointed up at the sky-light, across which a shadow lay, cast by the newly-risen sun which had flooded the cabin with gold. "Listening, eh?" said Mr Brymer, and stepping softly on one side, he took one of the guns, and, with a sudden motion, thrust it through. There was a bound and the rush of feet as the shadow disappeared. "A guilty conscience needs no accuser," said the mate, laughing, "a criminal running away from an empty gun!"