I had only time to murmur a word of thanks for this expression of sympathy, when he left me and returned to the boat, which immediately shoved off for the islet. The ladies--who, with the nursemaids and children, still stood waiting to be conveyed to the ship--saw, by the actions of the men, that there was something amiss, and now approached me, inquiring anxiously what was the matter. Of course, I had no alternative but to explain to them that the men had risen in mutiny, and had seized the ship; and, although I made as light of it as I could, it was a sorry tale at best that I had to tell them. I was still in the midst of my story when the phosphorescent flash of oars became visible in the black shadow of the islet, and presently the outline of the boat, telling dark upon the starlit surface of the still water, was seen approaching. As she drew near, the voice of Rogers came pealing across the water-- "Shore ahoy! just walk a bit farther back from the water's edge, there, or we shall be obliged to fire. We're about to land Sir Edgar; and if there's any sign of a rush at the boat, we shall shoot to kill. So if you don't want to be hurt, you'd better stand well back." "Hold on there a moment," I answered back, disregarding the threat. "Surely, men, you do not intend to abandon us here, unarmed; without a shelter from the weather, and with only the clothes we stand up in?" "Oh, you'll do well enough, I don't doubt," replied Rogers, brutally. "You don't want arms, because there's nobody nor nothing here that'll hurt you; you don't need clothes, because the climate's so warm that you can do without 'em; and, as to a shelter, why, we've left all the axes and shovels ashore; you're welcome to them, and if you can't build a house with such tools as that, you deserves to go without. There's plenty of fruit, and plenty of good water, so you won't starve; and, lastly, there's a chance for you to get all the treasure that's in that other hole--if we decides that we don't want it ourselves." "What?" I exclaimed, indignantly, "after stealing my ship and my treasure from me, will you not go to the small trouble of passing the ladies' and children's clothing into a boat, and sending it--" "Well, if you _won't_ stand back, take that!" interrupted Rogers; and as the word left his lips there was a flash, a sharp report, and a bullet went singing close past my ear. At the same moment I felt my arm seized by a white figure that unexpectedly appeared at my side, and Miss Merrivale's voice, rendered almost inarticulate by scorn and anger, exclaimed-- "Leave the cowardly brutes alone. You _shall not_ humiliate yourself further by stooping to ask a favour from them, even on our behalf; nor shall you wantonly expose yourself to the risk of being murdered in cold blood. I will not have it!"