e sailboat, with bated breath and
loudly-beating heart.

It _was_ Juan Montes! and with him Dick Turpie, the mulatto, Sagasta and
Chris Lamberton.

A chill of mortal fear crept over Frank, from head to foot. He could not
speak nor stir--scarcely to breathe--so great was his surprise and
terror.

He saw them haul down the sail, drop the anchor, all four jump into the
small boat towing astern, cast off the line and pull for the shore.

If discovered, he would surely be murdered, for as well might Frank hope
to escape the blood-thirsty jaws of a wild beast, if in its power, as to
expect mercy from these cruel, half-civilized, lawless men.

With a yell of exultant joy and malignant triumph, Sagasta cried, as he
leaped on shore:

"It's the Sea Eagle, by all that's lucky! Come on, mates. She's ours
now; and no mean prize, either!"

The three quickly followed Sagasta's lead, and were soon clambering up
the side of the Sea Eagle, like so many overgrown, ill-favored monkeys.

But their joy speedily changed to anger and disappointment, when they
discovered that the schooner had been already pillaged of everything of
value about her. Even the cabin door and windows were gone, and every
rope and spar and sail; the cook's galley, hold and forecastle plundered
of every article worth carrying off, and an air of general desolation
and ruthless ransacking pervaded her from stem to stern.

"Somebody's been here afore us!" said the wrecker, with a quick look
shorewards. "I don't understand it. Where's her boat? What's become of
her captain? If he, or any of his crew, are a-hiding anywhere on the
island, I'll soon know it. Let's have a look around, lads, afore we
begins work. This way!"

He drew his knife from its sheath as he spoke, the others following his
example, Sagasta alone of the formidable quartette producing a revolver
in addition to his knife; and thus armed, and ready to meet and
exterminate any foe who might happen to be near, they separated, Sagasta
going around to the southward, Turpie to the north, while Lamberton made
for the centre of the island and Montes bestowed all his attention on
the reef and its immediate neighborhood.

Frank was pale with suspense and fear. If they should find the seaward
entrance to the cave, he was lost. Yet they might easily discover the
causeway, and even sail through it, and still fail to find the cavern
itself. He had found it only by the merest chance.

The thought gave him n