n into the saloon to await with
a beating heart and swimming eyes the arrival of her two friends.

In a few minutes Captain Blyth and Bob Manners entered the cabin,
accompanied by and apparently in the custody of Rogers, who seemed
undecided whether to go or stay during the progress of the interview.

Sibylla detected the fellow's state of indecision in a moment, and at
once helped him to make up his mind.

"Thank you, Mr Rogers," said she, with one of her most radiant smiles.
"Oblige me by placing chairs for the two gentlemen, if you please; and
would you be so kind as to close the door as you pass out--so that we
may not be interrupted, you know?"

"Yes, miss, cert'nly," stammered the bewildered Rogers, nastily
fulfilling her bidding, and as hastily effecting his bungling retreat.

"Oh, Captain Blyth, I am so pleased to see you--and so sorry!" burst out
Sibylla, as she clasped the skipper's hand and gazed tearfully into his
care-worn face. "How you must have suffered all this cruel time, pent
up there in that horrid, _horrid_ place! Do you know, I have tried, oh,
ever so many times, to get permission to go and sit with you and cheer
you up a bit, but those dreadful wretches would not allow it; and at
last Ned--that is--I mean--Mr Damerell said perhaps I had better not
try any more, as my evident sympathy with you might only make them angry
and result in your further ill-treatment. And now they are going to put
you on shore on a wretched desert island--as they did with my poor
sister and Lucille and--and the rest yesterday, and you are come to bid
me good-bye."

"Yes, my dear, yes," said the skipper huskily, "that is just about the
sum and substance of it. But don't you trouble about us, or about your
sister and the rest of them either for that matter. We shall be all
right, never fear. The island yonder, though it is but a small strip of
a place, is not exactly a desert by what I could see of it as I came
aft; there is grass and trees--and, no doubt, water--upon it; and where
such things are to be found it ought to be no very hard matter for a
couple of handy men like Manners here and myself to pick up a living for
a month or two, which is as long as we intend to remain upon it. For,
hark ye, my dear," continued the skipper, sinking his voice to a whisper
of mystery, "the moment that this ship is fairly out of sight we are
going to set to work upon a boat, and as soon as ever she is finished it
is our int