the figure of the mate, clad in his
diving-armor, with the exception of his face, which was so clearly
revealed in the moonlight that there could be no mistaking his
identity.

Worse than that, the mate, standing as rigid as iron, had a gleaming
revolver pointed straight at him. Pomp sank on his knees in the most
abject terror.

"Oh, my heben!" he chattered, clasping his hands, "I t'ought dat you
was drowned. Am you sartin dat you ain't?"

"I am quite well satisfied on that point. But, Pomp, get up; I've got
a word or two to say to you."

"I will, I will; but please p'int dat weepon some oder way."

The mate complied, and the African, somewhat reassured, though still
considerably frightened, listened to the words of the man who he
supposed was drowned hours before.

"I am alive and well, Pomp, as you can see, and so is the captain, who
is taking a short nap in the cabin. We are well armed, as you
know----"

"Yas! yas! yas!" chattered the negro.

"And we can sail away in the morning, at the turning of the tide, and
leave you here----"

"Dat's what I want you to do, an' I'll go wid you."

"You can't go! I know well enough what you came out here for. You
thought you would find a chance to get the upper hand of the captain,
and would let the other villains on board. There! you needn't deny it.
I understand the matter too well to be deceived."

"Didn't I sabe de cap'in's life?" quavered Pomp, still fearful of the
cold, measured tones of the mate.

"You befriended him at a critical moment, and therefore I won't shoot
you, when I have such a good chance to do so. But you have regretted
your interference more than once, and you are seeking now to undo all
the good you have done. We have it in our power not only to go away,
but to bring back a force which shall hang every one of you three, as
you deserve to be, but----"

"Oh! oh-o-o-o!"

"But we don't propose to do it. We are not going away to leave you
here. To-morrow we shall have a proposal to offer to your mates, which
they will be glad to accept. That is about all I have to say to you."

CHAPTER XIX

THE DEPARTURE

As Mate Storms said, he had but little more communication to make with
the negro.

"You may now swim back to your friends and say that we will be ready
to negotiate to-morrow morning. If they will come down to the shore,
we will have a talk and arrange the whole business. Now, perhaps, you
had better go back."

Pomp Cooper was