But my fingers were well hooked on to the ropes, and
there I hung listening, as after pretty well scouring the deck the men
below me stopped, and the voice that I had set down as Jarette's said--

"Well, have you got him?"

"No."

"Did you feel under the seats?"

"Yes; there's no one on this deck."

"Did he go overboard?"

"No; he must have dodged us and dropped back from the rail."

"Who was it? The doctor?"

"No; that whipper-snapper of a boy."

"Oh, him. Well, then he'd better come out of his hole, wherever he is,"
said Jarette loudly, speaking in very good English, though with a
peculiar accent which sounded to me almost ferocious, as I hung there
feeling as if I could not hold on much longer.

"Do you hear, boy? Come here, or I'll send a bullet to fetch you."

That man was not twenty feet below me, and as I strained my eyes to try
and see whether he was watching me and taking aim, a curious creeping
sensation ran over my body as if tiny fingers were touching me.

"Do you hear?" came in a fierce snarl,--"am I to fire?"

The voice sounded so close now that the words seemed to be shouted in my
ear, and for the minute, feeling certain that he knew where I was, I
drew myself up ready to drop down. But still I hesitated, though I felt
perfectly certain he was looking up and pointing his pistol at me.

There was an interval of perfect silence then, save that a murmur came
from below, and this encouraged me, for I felt that I must be invisible
in the darkness, or else Jarette would have had me down.

Then my heart sank, for the man shouted suddenly--

"There, boy, I can see you; come out or I'll fire."

"Come out! Then he cannot see me," I thought, and I clung there
spasmodically, hoping still that I was unobserved.

"He's not here," said Jarette, sharply; "now then, one of you, I want a
man at the wheel, the ship's yawing about anyhow. Who have you there--
Morris?"

"Down on guard at the cabin-door," said a voice.

"Brook?"

"'Long with him."

"Jackson?"

"Sitting on the forksle-hatch."

"Sacre! Where's Bob Hampton?"

"Hee-ar!" came from the direction of the way down to the lower deck.

"Come up here and take the wheel."

"Ay, ay," growled the familiar voice, and I felt heart-sick to hear it,
for Bob Hampton would have been the first man I should have picked out
as one to be trusted, while the sound of his voice made it appear that
every one would be against us.

But though the