the pocket where he always kept the other cipher. But as he did so
he paused for a moment and then drew the papers forth again, determined
there and then to compare the two ciphers, for he felt almost positive
in his own mind that the two ciphers would be found to be identical. He
therefore sat down at the foot of a palm-tree in the shade, and, undoing
the packet, compared the two papers, finding, as he anticipated, that
the ciphers were written in exactly the same terms. "Therefore,"
thought Roger, "the spy of Alvarez managed after all to evade the
musket-balls fired at him, and succeeded in conveying the cipher to
Alvarez. No wonder that the Spaniard was so anxious to find his papers
that day in the cabin of the _Gloria del Mundo_!"

Having satisfied himself on this point, he returned the papers to his
pocket, buttoned up his jacket again, and continued on his way to find
the sailors. They presently made their appearance, thus saving him the
trouble of searching for them, and he saw that they were laden with as
much fish as they could carry. They explained that they had caught far
more than was necessary for present use, but that they intended to try
the experiment of drying it in the sun, even as they had done with the
turtle's flesh, thus--in the event of success--providing a store of food
against any contingency that might arise.

Roger, of course, returned with the men, and on the way back recounted
to them the fact of poor Evans's death, and of his desire to bury the
body at once.

The three were soon back at the hut, and, choosing a spot at some
distance from it, dug a grave in the sand with sharpened pieces of wood,
as they had no other implements. The hole having presently been made
sufficiently deep, they returned to the palm-grove, and laying a blanket
on the floor, placed the inanimate body thereon. Then, Bevan taking one
end of the blanket and Irwin the other, they carried the corpse away to
its lonely grave, and reverently laid it therein. This done, Roger,
kneeling by the grave-side, said a prayer, whilst the seamen stood by
with bared heads, after which the sand was shovelled back, and a small
mound raised over the grave.

The death of Evans affected the three survivors more or less during the
remainder of the day; they were all very silent and thoughtful, and
turned in early to sleep. About midnight Roger awoke with a vague sense
of some impending evil. He turned and turned again upon his