had lost a great deal of blood, but none of his
high courage, though Raymond at first thought he could not live.

"I am not going to die," he said. "_Per Bacco_, no."

Frewen spoke encouragingly to him and then turned his attention to the
seamen, all of whom were Englishmen. None of them were severely wounded,
and all that could be done for them had been done by Raymond and their
own unwounded shipmates, of whom there were four.

"Now I shall tell you the story," said Raymond to Frewen and Cheyne, as
he led the way to the verandah, on which a table with refreshments had
been placed. "But, first of all, do you see that ship out there? Well,
that is the _Esmeralda_. She is now in the possession of the mutineers,
and has on board forty-five thousand dollars. You see that she is
becalmed?"

"And likely to continue so for another three or four days, if I am any
judge of the weather in this part of the Pacific," said Frewen, "I agree
with you. And now, before I begin to tell you the story of the mutiny,
I want to know if you two will help me to recapture her? You are seamen,
and--"

Both men sprang to their feet.

"Yes, we will!"

"Ah! I thought you would not refuse. Now wait a moment," and calling to
a young native who was near, he bade him go to the chief of Samatau and
ask him to come to the house as quickly as possible.

"Malie, the chief of Samatau, will help us," he said to Frewen; "he has
two hundred of the best fighting men in Samoa, and I shall ask him to
pick out fifty. But we want a nautical leader--some one to take charge
of the ship after we get possession of her."

"Now here is the story of the mutiny, told to me by poor Mrs. Marston."

CHAPTER V

"At daylight this morning, my wife and I were aroused by our servants,
who excitedly cried to as to come outside. A boat, they said, was on the
beach with a number of white men in it, some of whom were dead.

"I went down to the beach at once, and five minutes later had all the
unfortunate wounded and unwounded people assisted to the house, for
they were completely exhausted by what they had undergone, and were also
suffering from thirst. Two of their number had succumbed to their wounds
in the boat a few hours previously, so Villari, the mate, told me.
Marston, who had been shot in the neck, was unconscious, and his wife
who, as you saw, is little more than a girl, was herself wounded in the
arm by a musket ball.

"We did all that we could do, a