sh the death of either of the officers.

Brazzier consented; but in doing so he deceived the negro. A mutiny,
such as he contemplated, could never be carried to a successful
conclusion without disposing finally and forever of the two officers
themselves. If they should be spared, the mutineers would never be
safe. But Pomp was misled from the first, because it was believed he
could be won over before the time came to strike the blow. Redvignez
set himself very skilfully to do so, for Pomp was ignorant and
exceedingly greedy for wealth. Redvignez began by telling him of a
large number of fictitious mutinies, in which the mutineers had made
their fortunes and lived happy and respected afterwards, and the
narrator made certain to impress upon the African the fact that the
job was rendered a perfect one by following out the proverb that dead
men tell no tales. Then he incidentally mentioned others in which the
mutineers came to grief, all from the fact that they allowed
themselves to be controlled by a foolish sentiment of mercy. The evil
seed thus sown did not fail to take root and bring forth its fruit,
just as the sower intended.

These little incidents were multiplied, and by-and-by Pomp was told
that there was but one way in which to secure the enormous riches that
lay in the little bay in the South Seas, awaiting their coming, and
that was by making themselves complete masters of the situation. The
negro could not mistake the meaning of this, and, after a feeble
opposition, he gave his assent, and said he would help carry out the
terrible programme, as it had been arranged from the first.

It was certainly very curious how the coming of little Inez Hawthorne
upon the ship threatened for awhile to disarrange every plan; but so
it was. There was a time when the better nature of the two evil men
asserted itself, and they began to consider the question in the light
of their awakened consciences; but these divine monitors were only
roused into temporary wakefulness and speedily dropped asleep again.
The manifest distrust which Inez showed toward them seemed to fill
their hearts with the most atrocious feelings, and neither of them
would have hesitated to fling her overboard, had the opportunity been
given. Incredible as it may seem, it is the fact that they would have
preferred to do so, being restrained by the simple question of policy.
They saw that Pomp had grown very fond of her, and any such action on
their part mi