ee him again,
Marie and I, when we reach the better land."

And then Zeppa would laugh lightly, but the laugh would merge again into
the bitter cry, as the thought would recur persistently--"gone--gone--
for ever!"

Oh! it was pitiful to see the strong man thus reduced, and reason
dethroned; and terrible were the pangs endured by the pirate chief as he
heard and saw; but he had now schooled himself to accept what he called
his "fate," and was able to maintain a calm, indifferent demeanour
before his men. Of course he never for a moment, during all that time,
thought of crying to God for mercy, for as long as a man continues to
ascribe his sins and their consequences to "fate," he is a rampant and
wilful, besides being an unphilosophical, rebel against his Maker.

At last, one afternoon, the peak of Sugar-loaf Island was descried on
the horizon, close to where the sun was descending amid a world of
golden clouds.

"Which side is the best for landing on!" asked the captain of his mate.

"The southern end, sir, which is steep and uninhabited," said Redford.

In half an hour they were under the shelter of the cliffs close to a
creek, at the inner end of which there was a morsel of flat beach.
Beyond this lay a richly wooded piece of land, which seemed to be
connected with a gorge among the hills.

"Lower the boat" said Rosco. "Have three men ready, and, when I call,
send them to the hold."

He descended as he spoke, and approached Zeppa, who looked at him with
unmistakable ferocity.

"You are going on shore," he said to the poor madman, who seemed neither
to comprehend nor to care for what he said.

"Once again," continued Rosco, after a pause, "I tell you that I had no
hand in the death of your son. My men, if they had their way, would
soon treat you as they treated him. They want to get rid of you, so, to
save your life, I must send you on shore. It is an island--inhabited.
I hope the natives will prove friendly to you. I hope you will get
well--in time. Do you understand what I say?"

Zeppa neither spoke nor moved, but continued to glare at the man whom he
evidently regarded as his deadliest foe.

A touch of pity seemed to influence the pirate captain, for he added in
a softer tone, "I would have taken you with me, if it had been possible,
and landed you on Ratinga. Perhaps that may yet be done. At any rate I
will return to this island--we shall meet again."

At last the madman spoke, in a harsh,