another in low voices. There was little urging. They were virtually
unanimous, and they shoved the Cockney out as their spokesman. That
worthy was overwhelmed with consciousness of the heroism of himself and
his mates, and with flashing eyes he cried:

"By Gawd! If 'e will, we will!"

The crew mumbled its assent and started forward.

"One moment, Captain," McCoy said, as the other was turning to give
orders to the mate. "I must go ashore first."

Mr. Konig was thunderstruck, staring at McCoy as if he were a madman.

"Go ashore!" the captain cried. "What for? It will take you three hours
to get there in your canoe."

McCoy measured the distance of the land away, and nodded.

"Yes, it is six now. I won't get ashore till nine. The people cannot be
assembled earlier than ten. As the breeze freshens up tonight, you
can begin to work up against it, and pick me up at daylight tomorrow
morning."

"In the name of reason and common sense," the captain burst forth, "what
do you want to assemble the people for? Don't you realize that my ship
is burning beneath me?"

McCoy was as placid as a summer sea, and the other's anger produced not
the slightest ripple upon it.

"Yes, Captain," he cooed in his dove-like voice. "I do realize that your
ship is burning. That is why I am going with you to Mangareva. But I
must get permission to go with you. It is our custom. It is an important
matter when the governor leaves the island. The people's interests
are at stake, and so they have the right to vote their permission or
refusal. But they will give it, I know that."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite sure."

"Then if you know they will give it, why bother with getting it? Think
of the delay--a whole night."

"It is our custom," was the imperturbable reply. "Also, I am the
governor, and I must make arrangements for the conduct of the island
during my absence."

"But it is only a twenty-four hour run to Mangareva," the captain
objected. "Suppose it took you six times that long to return to
windward; that would bring you back by the end of a week."

McCoy smiled his large, benevolent smile.

"Very few vessels come to Pitcairn, and when they do, they are usually
from San Francisco or from around the Horn. I shall be fortunate if I
get back in six months. I may be away a year, and I may have to go to
San Francisco in order to find a vessel that will bring me back. My
father once left Pitcairn to be gone three months, and two years pas