and all must
not be sacrificed for two. We none of us seemed to have the least pity
or care for poor Hargrave.

"It was mighty lucky," said Smart, "she could speak nothing but her
mother tongue, and that but badly clipping and mincing it, for she was
letting out everything in such a way I could ha' shook her well; and
I'll be bound to do it when I next see her. I hopes as they did not
understand, but I ha' my doubts."

The captain now set them all to work watching at different posts, with
orders to run and tell him all that occurred every half hour. Turning to
Schillie and me he said, "Ladies I would advise you to prepare for the
worst. They will work on the fears of that silly woman I doubt. We must
be prepared, and while I can defend the entrance for a good hour, you
must make your retreat, and where that is to be the Lord only knows."

_Mother._--"If we could get to the top of that big rock standing out
this side the bay, we can keep them off for some time there."

_Captain._--"That rock is but changing one desperate hope for another.
However we must trust in God. I'll try and believe that poor woman will
not utterly forget herself and us."

_Schillie._--"Why! my good captain, this island is like a rabbit warren,
they can never unearth us if we choose to be moderately careful."

_Captain._--"I have no doubt we could hide here for some time, but, with
such a lot of young ones all the care in the world on our parts may be
upset in a moment by thoughtlessness on theirs. Besides, they won't
leave a corner unvisited I feel sure, partly out of revenge, for they
are a most spiteful race, and partly from feeling persuaded you are the
people so long lost, and for whose recovery such large rewards are
offered."

_Schillie._--"In that case I imagine they won't harm us."

_Captain._--"They might not perhaps have done so at first, but 'they
will cut off their nose to spite their face' I am certain; by which I
mean they will be so savage at losing their men, and so angered at
having been deceived all this time by such a helpless party, that they
might murder us all in cold blood on the spur of the moment."

_Schillie._--"And that will be very unpleasant as far as I can judge."

_Mother._--"I should think we could make some hiding places amongst the
caverns, captain."

_Captain._--"So we could, Madam, had we time, and if I live but an hour,
or for one hundred years, my regret at not having taken the precaution
will be