ut the rocks and
cliffs, and with every boat out; but do you know, Skipper Jarks, they
arn't fund 'em."

The old scoundrel chuckled, and Mike heard Vince's teeth grate together;
and then directly after, he drew a deep breath, like a sigh, for the
captain said softly,--

"And zey vill not find zem, eh?"

"They've been all day a-looking for their corpusses--for they're dead
now."

"Aha! so soon?"

"Ay, skipper; they say they've gone off the rocks and been drownded, and
when they told me I says I wondered they hadn't been years ago, for they
was the owdaciousest pair as ever I see. They'd do anything they took
in their heads."

"Aha! is it so?" said the captain.

"Ay, Skipper Jarks, it's so; but I'm 'fraid I shan't find their
corpusses to-night. What do you say?"

"Nosing, _mon ami_: I on'y sink zat ze brave pilot. Josef Daygo, who
know evairy rock and courant about ze island, vill find zem if any ones
do. But, my friend, vat you sink? Zey find ze vay down to ze cave?"

"Nay, not they. Nobody can climb down they rocks."

"And you sink zere is no one who find ze leetler passage?"

"Sure of it, skipper. If any one had found that there way down do you
think he'd ha' kep' it to hisself? Nay, I should ha' been sure to ha'
heered it, and if I had I'd ha' done some'at as 'd startled him as tried
to go down. On'y one man in the Crag know'd of that till they two
dropped upon it somehow. I dunno how. It's been a wonder to me,
though, as nobody never did. Well, I must be going back: I've got a
rough bit to do 'fore I gets home, and then I've got to go up to the
Doctor's."

"Vell, you vill eat and drink somesing," said the captain. "Come to ze
cabin, and ve sall see."

As it happened, he led the way across the deck, and then along the port
side aft to the cabin-hatch, from whence came soon after the call for
the cook, who went to and fro carrying plates and glasses, while the two
boys still stood in their former places, leaning over the bulwarks and
apparently watching the phosphorescent creatures in the sea, but seeing
none.

It was some time before either of them spoke, and then it was Vince who
broke the silence.

"So we're both dead and swept out to sea, are we?" he said.

He waited for a few moments, and then, as Mike did not speak, he said,
in a low whisper:

"I say, Mike, shouldn't you like to take a piece of rock and drop it
through old Joe's boat?"

"No."

"Well, I should. Of all the