'You lie!' said his accuser; 'or robbery, or murder, or treachery you intend--or all. Own your worst; try it; this time openly, fairly: your brute strength upon two who are not your match: on your mate damaged from your foul handling: on an old man, whose gold you have taken, the trust of whose life you have accepted.' He could not attempt a protest, though his heart was like to break enforced to silence. The other advanced in temerity with an order. 'You have a knife. Give it up.' He obeyed without a word. Then the two made no reserve, but with a show of bare steel proved his temper. He did not lift a hand. Lois might come to hear of his transgression: she would never know how hard it was to atone, because they dawdled so cruelly, because he knew they would bungle so cruelly: he did not think either had force to drive a blade home at a stroke. The Adventurer paused. Here without madness was a guilty wretch cowed at detection, abject as a wolf in a pit! 'We would not your blood on our hands, yet to no oath of yours may our lives trust.' 'I would not offer it.' 'Only as the wild beast you showed yourself, look to be kept bound.' Such putting to shame was simply just, but oh! hard. 'I may not withstand you,' he said, hardly, steadily, 'but ah, sir! ah, Philip, suffer me! If this night I am to go to my account, I do greatly require that, through my default, the lives of two men may not drop in the loaded scale.' To them the plea rang strained and false. 'We choose our risk; against treachery of the skies will we rather provide.' He surrendered his hands to the Adventurer. Philip took the helm, but the miserable culprit winced to hear how the strain brought from him a sob of distress. The old man did his best under direction for shortening sail; but while yet this was doing, again the ominous roar sounded and grew, and a squall caught them unready. The light boat quivered in every plank as she reared against the heavy charge; sheets of water flew over, blinding. Christian heard from the helm a shriek of pain and despair, and at that, frantic, such an access of strength swelled in him, that suddenly his bonds parted like thread, and he caught the restive tiller out of Philip's incompetent hold. There could be no further question of him whom by a miracle Heaven had thus graced in strength for their service. And for their lives they needed to bale. Christian blessed the cruel, fierce elements. Far ahead heaved lights, revealed on the blown seas: far, so far. Right in their teeth drove the promised gale, with intermittent bursts of sleet and hail. Upon bodies brine-wet the icy wind cut like a knife. Twin lights sprang, low down, giving the wanted signal; bore down, then stood away: the appointed ship followed after her consorts, not daring, with a gale behind, to near the cruelest coast known.