nd put biscuits
on to toast beside it. He had no thought of being in danger, for he felt
sure that Jacopo would not run the risk of approaching the tent. After the
meal was cooked and eaten, he sat for a long time pondering over what had
best be done.

His first impulse had been to take to the woods, carrying a couple of
muskets and a store of provisions sufficient for a day or two, and to hunt
the Peruvian down. In this case each would be ignorant of the other's
position and movements, and neither would have any advantage over the
other; but, on the other hand, while he was hunting Jacopo, the latter
might be putting a sufficient store of melons and perhaps the carcase of a
pig on board the boat, and making off with it. The gold was there, and the
assassin would be ready to run any risk to get away with it. He would
doubtless prefer to silence the only voice that could give evidence
against him, but he would know that the chance of Stephen's ever making
his escape by himself would be so small that it might be disregarded.
Stephen thought that, at any rate, the risk of the Peruvian's attempting
to set sail that day was small. He would be suffering intense pain from
the wound, and would probably be incapable of making any great exertion;
but most of all he trusted to Jacopo's thirst for vengeance to keep him
for a while on the island. Eager as he might be to sail away with the
gold, he might well postpone his departure for a few days, until he had
avenged himself for the wound that had been inflicted on him.

Jacopo had one advantage over him. He could select a spot where he would
at once command the path down to the shore and keep his eye upon the
cutter, while from the camp Stephen was unable to obtain a view into the
bay.

As he was thinking the matter over, Stephen's eye fell upon the block and
rope by which the barrels had been hoisted up. It had for a long time been
disused, for they had found it much shorter to clear a path from the spot
where they descended from the cliff direct to the little bay, thereby
saving at least two-thirds of the distance, a matter of importance while
they were engaged upon their boat-building. The idea at once presented
itself that he might leave the spot by this means without the knowledge of
the Peruvian, and would thereby turn the tables on him. He was about to
put the loop at the end of the rope around his body, and swing himself
over, when he hesitated. He might be driven to adop