grating tone,--"If we meet again,
you shall die!"

"I will do my best to avoid that fate," returned Rosco, with a touch of
sarcasm. "Ho! lads! come down."

Three powerful seamen, who had stood at the hatchway awaiting the
summons, descended, and at once laid hold of Zeppa. To their surprise,
he made no resistance. To every one but the captain he behaved liked a
lamb. Having been placed in the bottom of the boat alongside, with his
hands still bound, they shoved off, and Rosco, taking the tiller,
steered for the little creek.

The instant the keel touched the land two of the men jumped out and
hauled the boat ashore. The others assisted Zeppa to land. They led
him to a grassy bank, and bade him sit down. He obeyed meekly, and sat
there gazing at the ground as if unable to comprehend what was being
done. Rosco remained in the boat while a small box of biscuit was
conveyed to the spot and left at the side of Zeppa.

Then, removing his bonds, the men re-embarked and returned to the
schooner, which soon left that part of the island far astern. While it
receded, the pirate captain kept his glass fixed on the wretched man
whom he had thus forsaken. He saw that Zeppa never once turned his head
seaward, but, after gazing in a state of abstraction at the ground for
some time, rose and sauntered slowly inland. He did not appear to
observe the small supply of provision left for his use. With his chin
sunk upon his breast and his hands clasped behind him, he appeared to
wander aimlessly forward until his tall figure was lost to view among
the palm-groves that fringed the bottom of the mountain.

Leaving him there, we shall turn now to poor Orlando, who had been
tossed so unceremoniously into the sea. Probably the reader is aware
that the water of the southern seas is, in many parts, so much warmer
than that of our northern climes, that people may remain in it for hours
without being chilled. Hence natives of the coral islands are almost
amphibious, and our young hero, having spent much of his life among
these islands, could swim for the greater part of a day without becoming
exhausted.

When, therefore, he caught hold of the life-preserver, as stated in the
last chapter, he clung to it with some degree of confidence; but by
degrees the depressing influence of continued darkness began to tell
upon him, and he became less and less hopeful of deliverance. He
bethought him of the great distance they had sailed fro