nd vat
you call ze game coq. You _comprends, mon enfant_."

"Then you'd better take him away," cried Vince, who was effervescing
with wrath against his companion.

"Aha, yaas," said the Frenchman, grinning. "You sink I better tie you
up like ze dogue. But, faith of a man, you fly at von and anozaire I
sall--"

He drew a small pistol out of his breast, and, giving both lads a
significant look,--

"Zere," he continued, "I sall not chain you bose up. You can run about
and help vis ze crew. I only say to you ze passage is block up vis big
stone, ze hole vere ze seal live is no good--ze rock hang over ze wrong
vay. You try to climb, and you are not ze leetler _mouche_--fly. You
fall and die; and if you essay to svim, ze sharp tide take you avay to
drown. Go and svim if you like: I sall not have ze pain to drown you.
But, my faith! vy do I tell you all zis? You bose know zat you cannot
get avay now ze passage is stop up vis stone, and I stop him vis a man
who has sword and pistol as vell. Go and help ze men."

He walked away, leaving the boys together, carefully avoiding each
other's eyes, as they felt that they were prisoners indeed, and wondered
what was to be their fate.

Vince took a few turns up and down upon the sand with his hands deep in
his pockets. Mike seated himself upon the keg he had occupied over his
breakfast, for in their frame of mind they both resented being ordered
to go and help the men; but at that time the worst pang of all seemed to
be caused by the fact that, just at the moment when they wanted each
other's help and counsel, with the strength of mind given by the feeling
that they were together, they were separated by the unfortunate conduct
of one.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

THE PIRATE CAPTAIN OF THEIR DREAMS.

The walk did Vince good, for the action given to his muscles carried off
the sensation which made his fists clench from time to time in his
pockets and itch to be delivering blows wherever he could make them
light on his companion's person.

He did not notice that he was ploughing a rut in the sand by going
regularly to and fro, for he was thinking deeply about their position;
and as he thought, the dread that the captain's words had inspired,
endorsed as they were by Daygo's, began to fade away, till he found
himself half contemptuously saying to himself that he should like to
catch the skipper at it--it meaning something indefinite that might mean
something worse, but