intervening distance, and then took the child
by the hand and showed her through the schooner, there being little to
exhibit. Finally she was led into the cabin, where she said she was
tired and wished to lie down. Thereupon Brazzier lifted her upon the
captain's berth and drew the coverlet over her. A minute later the
weary eyes closed in slumber and he left the cabin.

Brazzier had no intention, up to this time, of using any deception in
the matter; but, under the persuasion of Redvignez, he gave way to the
innate wickedness of his nature, and chuckled over the lamentable
occurrence. They felt pleasure in the certainty that what they were
doing was sure to make other hearts ache.

CHAPTER VI

"PORT YOUR HELM!"

When a thorough search of the steamer _Polynesia_ made known the truth
that little Inez Hawthorne was nowhere upon it, the sorrowful
conclusion was that she had fallen overboard in some manner and been
drowned.

But the belief was scarcely formed, when the discovery was made that
such was not the case; that in fact she had been taken away by the
schooner _Coral_, whose mate performed such good service in mending
the broken shaft of the _Polynesia_.

The story as told Captain Strathmore was as follows:

The two officers of the schooner were rowed to the steamer by one of
the crew, who climbed up the ladder at the side of the _Polynesia_,
and spent a few minutes in inspecting the broken shaft. He then came
back. His attention was attracted to little Inez, whose childish
curiosity was excited by the appearance of a stranger who had but one
eye, and who looked so different from the trim-looking members of the
steamer's crew. The two fell into conversation, and Inez asked so many
questions about the schooner that the stranger invited her to take a
look at it. He was heard to say that the captain and mate would be
engaged for two or three hours, and there would be plenty of time to
row the child over the intervening distance, explore the _Coral_, and
come back before Captain Bergen and his mate would be ready to leave.

Naturally, Inez gladly accepted the invitation, and the sinister-looking
man, picking her up, carefully descended the ladder to his small boat,
and rowed away to the schooner.

This story, it will be observed, corresponded with that told by
Brazzier himself.

No one thought anything of the proceeding, which was one of the most
natural in the world, and there was nothing to arouse