le older than herself, was as a mother
to her; for the native girl had been brought up with her and her sisters
from their infancy. And as Tessa lay back with her dark head pillowed
against the bosom of the native girl, and sobbed as she thought of her
lover lying in the deck-house with the handcuffs on his wrists, Maoni
pressed her lips to those of her mistress.

"Lie there, little one, lay thy head on my bosom," she said; "'tis a bad
day for thee, but yet all will be well soon. These sailor men with the
brown skins will not let thy lover be hurt. That much do I know already.
Speak but one word, and the captain and the big fat man with the black
eyes will be dead men."

Tessa smiled through her tears. "Nay, Maoni, that must not be; I desire
no man's death. But yet if he be not set free to-morrow trouble will
come of it, for he hath done nothing wrong; and the brown men, as thou
sayest, have a strong friendship for him."

"He shall be set free to-morrow," said Maoni, with quiet emphasis. "The
brown sailor men have talked together over this thing, and they say that
they are ready at thy word to make captive the captain, the big fat man,
and all those white men who tend the great fires in the belly of the
ship."

Tessa knew that the half-dozen of white firemen and stokers were on
bad terms with the native crew. They were a ruffianly, drunken set of
scoundrels, and their leader, a powerfully built man named Donnelly,
had grossly insulted both the first and second mates. He was an especial
_protege_ of the supercargo, who, as well as the captain, secretly
encouraged him and his fellows to annoy and exasperate the two officers
and the chief engineer.

They remained in their cabin talking together in low tones and without
a light till they heard eight bells strike; and ten minutes afterwards,
just as they were going on deck, some one tapped at the cabin door.

"It is me, Miss Remington," said the voice of Oliver; "please let me
come in for a moment. Be quick, please, as I don't want the captain to
know I am here."

Tessa at once opened the door. "Come in Mr. Oliver. But we have no
light."

"Never mind that, miss," he said in a low voice, carefully closing the
door and then bolting it, "I cannot stay long. I came to warn you that
there is likely to be trouble tonight about Mr. Carr, and you had better
not come on deck. Keep to your cabin, and don't open your door to any
one except myself, the second mate, or the stew