ng
ashore from the barque. She's been in sight for the last quarter of an
hour, but she's coming along very slowly, and I expect it'll be quite
another quarter of an hour before she reaches the beach."

"Where is she?" demanded Leslie, seizing the night-glass. "Oh, there
she is," he continued, as he brought the instrument to bear. "I see
her. She appears to be one of the barque's quarter-boats, Nicholls,
and, so far as I can make out, there are only two men in her."

"It's difficult to tell by starlight, sir," replied Nicholls, "but I
should say there's about that number. There can't be less, for she is
pulling two oars, and one man wouldn't be likely to attempt the job of
pulling a heavy boat like a gig ashore, much less pull her back again
against the wind. And I don't think there's likely to be more than two
of 'em, otherwise they wouldn't be pulling only two oars."

"Just so," agreed Leslie. "Now where are those seizings? Oh, here they
are! That's all right; we must have them where we can put our hands
upon them at a moment's notice. And are your pistols all ready, in case
you should need to use them? That's well. Now all that remains for us
to do is to quietly await the arrival of those gentlemen here, in the
darkness of the tent. They will be pretty certain to come here first.
And when they do, I will cover them with my revolvers while you lash
their hands behind them. And take care that you lash them so securely
that there will be no possibility of their getting adrift again."

"Ay, ay, sir; never fear. You may trust me for that," answered
Nicholls, cheerfully.

And with that the two men seated themselves well back within the deepest
shadows of the tent, and quietly awaited the approach of their nocturnal
visitors.

The boat was by this time so close to the beach that it was apparent
that the men in her were pulling with muffled oars; and presently she
glided in upon the sand so gently that she grounded without a sound.
Then the two figures in her silently rose to their feet, and, laying in
their oars with such extreme care that the deposition of them upon the
thwarts was accomplished with perfect noiselessness, stepped gently out
of her on to the yielding sand. They conferred earnestly together for a
minute or two and then, turning, came cautiously up the beach, each of
them carrying a short length of rope in his hand.

"By Jove," whispered Leslie to his companion, "they are determined to