upon the storage of his own particular bundle of "dunnage," I
felt tolerably certain that their respective parcels of gems were
concealed therein. Seeing them thus employed, I slipped down below,
gave Miss Onslow a call, and then returned to the deck with her and my
own bundle, together with the chronometer and sextant, all of which, in
an easy, off-hand manner, I placed in the stern-sheets. As I did so,
the man Sam looked up, and exclaimed savagely:

"Here, what the--" but was instantly interrupted by one of his mates,
who murmured a few words in his ear.

"What is the matter?" demanded I, with a great affectation of innocence;
"surely there is room in the boat for the few things belonging to the
lady and myself?"

"Oh, ay," he growled surlily; "there's room enough--or, if there ain't,
we'll _make_ room, so's you and the lady shall have plenty o' clothes
for your trip--eh, mates?"

The others responded with a sinister laugh at the grim humour of the
joke; but without taking any notice, I looked on at the work with just
that amount of interest that I might be reasonably expected to take,
until the steward called me to say that breakfast was ready. Then, with
a glance of intelligence at Harry--to which he responded--I turned away
and went below.

The breakfast was a very good one--just the substantial, appetising kind
that one would wish to sit down to upon such an occasion; and I did
ample justice to it. At length, at what I judged to be the right
moment, I signed to Miss Onslow to go on deck, and then rose to my feet
as though to follow her; but instead of springing up the companion
ladder I turned to the steward, seized him by the throat, and flung him
violently to the deck. The shock stunned him; and before he recovered
consciousness I had got him lashed arms and legs together, like a
trussed fowl, with a gag in his mouth that I had already prepared for
the purpose. Making sure that he was quite secure, and could not
possibly release himself, or cry out, I dashed up the companion ladder,
and drew over the slide, securing it and the doors with wedges. Harry
was sitting on the windlass barrel, taking his breakfast _al fresco_,
and acting as lookout generally while the others breakfasted below; and
directly he saw me throw up my hand as a signal to him, he slid off the
windlass, crept softly to the fore-scuttle, and swiftly closed the
hatch, securing it by thrusting a wooden pin through the staple. There