ne who will
make a fight for him."

"Stop!" cried Drew, clinging to his arm.

"Let go!"

"I say you shall not."

"Let go, or take the consequences," cried Panton furiously, and he
raised his gun as if to strike at his companion with the butt.

"Here, Smith, Wriggs, help me, he is half mad. He must not, he shall
not go alone!"

"Then come with me, cowards!" cried Panton.

"No, sir, we aren't a coming to see you die," said Smith quickly, as he
seized the hand which held the gun. "Now, Billy, ketch hold behind."

The struggle began, but it was a vain one. No one present was gifted
with much strength; but it was three to one, and as the darkness fell
the four shadowy forms looked dim and strange, writhing here and there,
Panton striving hard to free himself from the restraining hands as he
made a brave fight, but gradually growing weaker till, all at once,
Wriggs, who had retained his position behind during the struggle,
suddenly clasped his hands round the poor fellow's waist, and lifted him
right from the ground.

"That's got him," he growled. "Now, Tommy, you get hold on his legs,
and we'll lie him down."

"Right!" cried Smith, and in this ignoble way Panton would the next
minute have been thrown down, had not a shout suddenly come out of the
gloom behind them.

The effect was magical.

Smith let go of Panton's legs, and Wriggs unclasped his hands to place
them to his mouth and give forth a tremendous yell.

"Ahoy! Ship ahoy!" he cried.

"Ahoy!" came from very near at hand, followed by a couple more distant
calls, and another so faint as hardly to be heard.

"Ahoy! Here away!" shouted Smith, and the next minute there were
footsteps, and a familiar voice said,--"Where are you?"

"Here!" cried Drew eagerly.

"Thank goodness!" cried Mr Rimmer. "Found you at last. I was afraid
something had happened to you, gentlemen. Ahoy!"

His shout, intended to rally his followers, was echoed four times, and
as soon as he had replied he turned to the breathless party.

"Hallo, gentlemen, been running?" he cried. "I didn't like to leave you
longer for fear anything might have gone wrong, so I came on with half a
dozen men. How plaguey dark. Hallo! Where's Mr Lane?"

There was an ominous silence and Mr Rimmer repeated his question.

"Don't say anything has happened to the lad," he cried.

Then Drew spoke and told him all.

"What, and you stand there like that without making another try!" said
Mr