prisoner had said excited a serious train of reflections in his mind.
The events of the last five minutes had sadly interfered with his
arrangements. His harboring place was broken up now, and by daylight the
island would be too hot to hold him. What should he do? That was a
question he could not answer at once; he must have time to think it
over. At a sign from him Atkins and Friday crossed the chasm; but, when
he ordered Jed to follow, he declined to move.

"What shall I go over there for?" he demanded.

"'Cause it's our orders. We're goin' to keep you here for awhile."

"Well, I swan to man!" said Jed.

"If we should let you go, you might tell on us, you know. Come, ketch
hold of the rope an' go on."

"Well--no; I guess I won't go of my own free will. If you want me over
there you must put me over."

"All right," replied the governor, pulling out his knife and cutting off
a piece of the rope; "we're just the fellers that can do it. Come back
here, men. Now," he added, when Atkins and Friday had recrossed the
chasm, "all hands pitch in, and tie him, hand and foot."

The Crusoe men knew, by Jed's looks, that he was all muscle and pluck,
and consequently they were not surprised at his stubborn resistance.
They "pitched in" with alacrity, and one of them did something that Sam
had not calculated on--he "pitched out" again, directly. It was Tom
Newcombe, who, the instant he laid his hand on the prisoner's collar,
was seized around the body and thrown heavily on the rocks. He gathered
himself up as quickly as possible, drew down the corners of his mouth,
rubbed his elbow, and stood off at a safe distance and looked on. Will
Atkins received a back-handed blow over his eye that caused him to see a
million of stars; but, as he had more pluck than Tom, and was anxious to
restore himself to the governor's favor, he merely stopped long enough
to say, "Jerusalem!" and then "pitched in" harder than ever. Of course;
Jed was conquered; but it was only after a protracted struggle.

"Now we're all right," exclaimed the governor, assisting his prisoner to
his feet and pulling him toward the edge of the chasm, "an' I reckon
you'll go over, won't you? Atkins, you and Friday go across ag'in an'
stand by to ketch him. Xury," he continued, when this order has been
obeyed, "pass the rope under his arms an' make it fast, while me an' the
cap'n hold him."

Jed, having by this time been fully convinced that it was idle to
resist, sub