ch's fulgurator.

Ah! if it had only been possible for me to hide in the tug, to slip
into the _Ebba's_ hold, and stow myself away there until the schooner
arrived in port! Then perchance I might have escaped and delivered the
world from this band of pirates.

It will be seen how tenaciously I cling to the thought of escape--of
fleeing--fleeing at any cost from this lair. But flight is impossible,
except through the tunnel, by means of a submarine boat. Is it not
folly to think of such a thing? Sheer folly, and yet what other way is
there of getting out of Back Cup?

While I give myself up to these reflections the water of the lagoon
opens a few yards from me and the tug appears. The lid is raised and
Gibson, the engineer, and the men issue on to the platform. Other men
come up and catch the line that is thrown to them. They haul upon it,
and the tug is soon moored in its accustomed place.

This time, therefore, at any rate, the schooner is not being towed,
and the tug merely went out to put Ker Karraje and his companions
aboard the _Ebba_.

This only confirms my impression that the sole object of their trip is
to reach an American port where the Count d'Artigas can procure the
materials for making the explosive, and order the machines in some
foundry. On the day fixed for their return the tug will go out through
the tunnel again to meet the schooner and Ker Karraje will return to
Back Cup.

Decidedly, this evildoer is carrying out his designs and has succeeded
sooner than I thought would be possible.

_August 3._--An incident occurred to-day of which the lagoon was the
theatre--a very curious incident that must be exceedingly rare.

Towards three o'clock in the afternoon there was a prodigious bubbling
in the water, which ceased for a minute or two and then recommenced in
the centre of the lagoon.

About fifteen pirates, whose attention had been attracted by this
unaccountable phenomenon, hurried down to the bank manifesting signs
of astonishment not unmingled with fear--at least I thought so.

The agitation of the water was not caused by the tug, as the latter
was lying alongside the jetty, and the idea that some other submarine
boat had found its way through the tunnel was highly improbable.

Almost at the same instant cries were heard on the opposite bank. The
newcomers shouted something in a hoarse voice to the men on the side
where I was standing, and these immediately rushed off towards the
Beehive.