, for she had overheard
Williams tell one of the bluejackets that some of Adams' men had, long
before the main body approached, formed a complete line of guards on
both sides of the house, extending from the inner lagoon beach right
across the island, which, at this place, was not a quarter of a mile in
width. And the girl knew that at the unguarded open ends on either side
there was no chance of concealment, for there the coast rose steep-to
from the sea, and was bare of verdure.

Presently the boatswain, with two or three bluejackets, re-entered the
room.

"There's no place in the girl's room, sir, where a man could hide. He
must have cleared out, sir, long before we reached her. I guess that
that noise we heard crossing the channel was made by him. I think he's
just doubled on us and made down for the south end of the island."

Pressing her father's hand warningly, the girl fixed her dark, dreamy
eyes on the officer and spoke.

"Yes, that true. My brother he ran away long time before boat come up.
Some one been tell him that 'Merican man-o'-war anchor down at south
end. So he run away."

The officer, with an exclamation of disgust, put his pistol back in his
belt.

"That lying scoundrel of a native has just fooled us nicely, Williams.
Sound a call for Adams and his men to come back, and let us get back to
the cutter. We'll have to begin the search again to-morrow."

The boatswain's mate had just stepped outside and placed his whistle
to his lips, when the thundering report of a heavy musket-shot echoed
through the air. Then silence for a few seconds, followed by the sharper
sounds of the rifles of the American bluejackets.

Before any one could stay her Ema Swain darted through the guard of
blue-jackets at the door, and disappeared in the direction of the sound
of firing; and almost immediately afterwards the officer and his party
followed.

But ere Lieutenant Fenton and his men had advanced more than a hundred
yards or so into the gloomy shadows of the palm-grove, he called a halt,
as the sound of voices came through the gloom.

"Is that you, Adams?" he called.

"Yes, sir," answered a voice from a little distance; "we've got him;
he ran right into us; but before we could catch him he shot the native
guide through the body."

In a few minutes Adams's party joined that of the officer, and then in
silence, with their prisoner in their midst, they marched back to the
trader's house.

"Bring the prisone