ed down into the water; the governor
thoughtfully paced the deck, and the rest of the band stood in a group
in the waist, watching the movements of their officers, and waiting
impatiently for them to make known their plans.

"Come, skipper," said Sam, at length, "why don't you wake up and talk to
us?"

"O now, what shall I say?" drawled Tom. "I am the unluckiest boy in the
whole world!"

"We've heard that a thousand times," said the governor, impatiently.
"We're all of us unlucky, for the matter of that. But what shall we do?
Are we goin' to give up?"

"No, we are not. We have had a good many adventures to-night. I don't
believe that any other boys of our age ever came safely out of as many
scrapes as we have been into, and now we are not going to allow
ourselves to be cornered, like rats in an oat-bin. We must leave here at
once."

"I say, governor," suddenly exclaimed one of the robbers, who had made
the circuit of the cove without finding any way of egress, "how do you
get out of this hole?"

"We don't go out at all," replied the chief. "We stay in."

"We do not intend to remain here any longer. We have wasted time enough
with you, and now we are going off on our own hook."

"Well, then, why don't you go?" drawled the skipper

"Because we can't find any way out of the cove."

"We don't want nothing more to do with you two fellers, whatsomever,"
said Sam. "Go off about your business."

"Now see here, boys, this thing has gone about far enough. We've had
more than we want of this nonsense, and we'll teach you to give a civil
answer to a civil question. We are going out, and one of you must show
us the way," said the burglar; and, as he spoke, he came on board the
schooner, and, striding up to Sam, seized him by the collar.

"Let me be!" roared the chief.

"Will you guide us to the top of the cliff?"

"Will you pay us the thousand dollars you promised us for taking you out
to sea?" whined Tom. "If you go back from your word, you need not ask
favors of us."

"You have not taken us to sea yet."

"That's because you haven't given us a chance. We can do it, and we
will, too, if you will stay with us."

"Let go my collar, I say!" shouted Sam.

"Answer my question first," replied the robber.

"I don't know nothing about a way to the top of the cliff. Stand by,
here, fellers. Hit him with a handspike, somebody."

The Crusoe men began to bustle about in a state of intense excitement,
and the other bur