, lad?"

"Ye told Long Jim to do for me--didn't ye, Thirkle?" Petrak grinned, and
his fingers twitched toward the butt of a pistol. I knew what was in his
mind.

"What's that?" demanded Thirkle. "Oh, run along now, Red, like a good
chap, and get the gold stowed. Didn't I tell ye to get Long Jim, and
didn't ye get him? What more's to be said? Run along now, Reddy, and pack
it away."

"That's what Long Jim said," insisted Petrak doggedly. There was murder
in his eyes, while his face was livid with fear.

"Then he lied, and ye ought to take my word against his. Don't be a fool
now, Reddy, like the others. Ye'll get your share, bank on that. Yer a
good sort, Petrak; and I need ye to help me get it away, and we'll share
and share alike, as I told ye. Do you think I'd play dirt with ye after
all we've been through together, Reddy?"

"Course not. Don't mind my lip, Thirkle, old chap. No harm done, is
there?"

"No harm done, Reddy," said Thirkle, glancing at me suspiciously, as if
he thought I had been turning Petrak against him.

"No harm in what I say, Thirkle," and Petrak took up the end of the sack.
His mistrust of Thirkle gave me an idea, which I put into play as soon as
we were well inside the crevice.

"Petrak," I whispered dropping my end of the sack, and compelling him to
let it down.

"What's up now?" he whispered.

"He'll kill you, too, Reddy. He's planning it out; and if you let him,
he'll kill both of us before he quits this island. Are you going to let
him do it, Reddy?"

He growled out something and fumbled at his belt, and it was touch and go
with him whether he would knife me and then run out and tell Thirkle to
gain credit with him.

"His mind is made up, Reddy. He may let us help him get a boat into the
water, but that's all. He'll murder both of us like dogs."

"Old Thirkle's all right," he said weakly, as if he felt the truth of
what I said, but lacked courage to attack Thirkle.

"Reddy, he'll kill you!" I went on, seeing that I was on the right track,
and that fear of death at Thirkle's hands was uppermost in his mind.

He had caught enough in Thirkle's manner since the death of Buckrow to
see that he was not going to get a just division of the loot, at the very
least, and, knowing the ruthlessness of his master, he had doubts about
escaping with his life. Besides, I believed he had been tempted by the
thought that he might kill Thirkle and then have it all to himself.

"He told Long J