re, ma'am, was to
prepare you for a question which I have to put. When these men
arrive, Captain Branscome, Mr. Goodfellow, and I must deal with them.
Are you ladies prepared to exercise strong self-control? Will you,
with Harry Brooks, await us here until our business is over?"

"Excuse me, sir, but I must first know what your business is."

"That, ma'am, will depend upon circumstances; but it is more than
likely to be serious."

"I must trouble you, now and always, to speak to me definitely.
If you propose to shoot these men, kindly say so."

"I do not, ma'am. But their boat lies on the next beach, and as soon
as they launch her they will discover us; and as soon as they
discover us it will be life for life."

"But they need not discover us. In five minutes we can embark
ourselves and our belongings; in less than fifteen we can round the
point to the south'ard, and beyond it lie two or three small coves
where, as I judged in passing, a boat can lie reasonably safe from
observation."

"Admirably reasoned, ma'am. By all means take the boat--take Harry
Brooks with you, and Mr. Goodfellow for protection. But Captain
Branscome and I must stay and see it out with these men."

"For my part," put in Plinny, "I cannot see why these men have not as
much right as we to the treasure; and, in any case, if we let them go
they leave us a clear coast to hunt for the rest."

"Captain Branscome"--Dr. Beauregard turned to him--"do these ladies,
as a rule, assert a voice in your dispositions?"

"They do, sir," answered the Captain, with a tired smile; "and if you
will take my advice, the only way with them is to make a clean breast
of everything."

"I will." The Doctor faced about, with a smile. "You must know then,
ladies, that these two ruffians--for by this time there are two
only--will presently be coming down to the next beach to launch their
boat and leave the island. How do I know this? Because my study of
treasure-hunters has given me a kind of instinct; or because, if you
prefer it, I have observed that the moment--the crucial moment--when
these fellows quarrel is always the moment when, having laid hands on
as much as they can carry, they turn to retreat. You doubt my
diagnosis, ma'am?" he asked, turning to Miss Belcher. "Then I can
convince you even more simply. These men are not camping here
to-night; they will not return to-morrow to fetch a second load; and
for the sufficient reason that there is no