o overboard in the next squall, which will be
upon us in a few minutes. Take another drink, Louis, and don't shake
so, or--" and Chard grasped Hendry by the collar and spoke with sudden
fury--"or by God, I'll settle _you_ first, and do the whole thing
myself!"

"I'll do it, Sam; I'll do it."

Again the hissing rain and the hum of the squall was upon them as the
ocean was blotted out from view.

"Now," said Chard--"quick." They sprang forward together, lifted the
unconscious men one by one, and threw them over the side.

"Run up the jib," said Hendry hoarsely; "let us get further away."

"You rotten-hearted Dutch cur," and Chard seized the captain by the
beard with his left hand and clenched his right threateningly, "brace
yourself up, or I'll ring your neck like a fowl's, and send you
overboard after them. Think of your wife and family--and of the
hangman's noose dangling between you and them."

*****

Throughout the night the rain squalls swept the ocean at almost hourly
intervals, with more or less violence, but were never of long enough
duration to raise more than a short, lumpy sea, which quickly subsided.

About an hour before dawn, however, a more than usually heavy bank
formed to windward, and Harvey, with Huka and the other natives, could
see that there was more wind in it than would be safe for the mate's
boat, which was deep in the water, owing to the number of people in her.
Oliver agreed with them that they should tranship three or four of their
number into the second mate's boat.

"Better be sure than sorry, Carr," he said; "can any one of you see Mr.
Atkin's boat?"

Nothing could be seen or heard of her until a boat lantern was hoisted
on an oar by Oliver, and a few seconds after was responded to by Atkins
soaking a piece of woollen cloth in rum, wrapping it round the point of
a boathook, and setting it alight. Its flash revealed him half a mile
away to leeward. Hendry and Chard, who by this time were quite three
miles distant, saw the blazing light, and the latter wondered what it
meant.

"They have parted company, I think," said Hendry, "and as the mate's
boat is too deep I daresay he wants Atkins to take some of his people
before this big squall comes down. It's going to be an ugly fellow
this, and we'll have to drive again. I wish it would swamp 'em both. The
sharks would save us a lot of trouble then."

As quickly as possible Oliver paddled down to Atkins, and Harvey,
Latour, Huka, and