e more, and with a groan he lowered his head on his
breast and his white hair fell around his features in the sunlight.

Mart caught a pitying glance from Bob, but he knew too well that Jerry
was not to be trusted, and drew his chum aside to the ladder.

"Look here, Holly," he whispered earnestly, "we can't get soft-hearted
now. Jerry ain't half as simple as he looks, take it from me. We got our
work cut out for us, too. Your dad's over there in the jungle, remember,
and them Malays have got 'most all the crew pris'ners. That's goin' to
be a mighty hard nut for us to crack. We've got to put Jerry in irons,
that's all."

Bob nodded, his eyes roving over the water.

"Look there, Mart," he said, pointing to the island. "The boat's gone
back to the shore."

Mart glanced across to the island, and saw that the boat had indeed
drifted back to the beach and lay slowly stranding as the tide dropped.
However, he forgot about the matter instantly, as Jerry's voice came to
them.

"Look here, lads," and the old man's voice came softly, appealingly. "I
got a proposition to make. You've got me fair and square, lads, fair and
square--but I want to get down to that there wreck again."

Mart eyed him keenly, but the old man was evidently in earnest.

"Let's hear your proposition," he said curtly.

CHAPTER XIV

A TRUCE

Jerry collected himself with an effort. It must indeed have been a
bitter pill for him to swallow, reflected Mart as he watched the old
quartermaster, while Bob stood at his elbow. Jerry had gone down leaving
his gang in full possession of the yacht; he had evidently found the
wreck untenanted by the Pirate Shark; and he had returned to the surface
to find all his fine schemes shattered by the two boys.

Undoubtedly the old man was a villain, and he had showed that morning
that he cared nothing for human life so that his plans were carried out;
but now he looked so helpless, sitting there in the blazing sun with his
white hair falling over his neck, that the boys could not help feeling a
touch of sympathy for him.

"Lads," he said slowly, gazing up at them with his gentle blue eyes, "I
found that there wreck, and she's split apart so's her cargo can be got
at easy. There's gold a-lyin' there for the pickin' up, lads!" His voice
grew hoarse with eagerness.

"Eight fathom down she lies, lads, eight fathom down! I got to go down
again, lads--I been waitin' too long for this chance! I just want to get