oard," declared Locke.

Trask moved forward and mounted the forecastle, followed by Locke.

"Hello, you!" called Trask.

The rowers ceased their work, and with suspended oars allowed the
dinghy to drift on.

"It's all right," said Jarrow. "They want to put me aboard for a
talk."

"You can't come alongside," warned Trask. "We'll shoot if you
attempt to come close," and he put his hand to his hip pocket and
pulled out his silver cigarette case, taking care that the sun hit
the upper edge.

"But they want to put me back aboard for a talk about how things
stand," insisted Jarrow. "You'll let me come, won't ye?"

"Not with that gang," said Trask. "Let 'em take you ashore, and get
up the beach. Then I'll come for you with the long boat."

Jarrow made some suggestion to Peth, but the mate shook his head.

"He says I come aboard now, this way, or not at all," said Jarrow.
"You better let me tell you how the land lays."

"Nobody gets aboard here until Captain Dinshaw is brought back,"
said Trask. "And I'll take one man of the crew. The rest of 'em can
stay here and starve for all I care. It's their own funeral. They
had no business deserting the schooner."

"But I'm master, and that's my schooner, and I'm to say what's to
be done," said Jarrow. "If you try to do that, it's piracy. I can't
help it if the men refuse duty. All I can do is the best I can for
the safety of my passengers, and if you don't let me do that, I
wash my hands of ye."

"You'll find your schooner in Manila," declared Trask. "I've told
you how to go about getting aboard."

"I can't do what they won't let me," whined Jarrow.

"What do they want?" demanded Trask.

The boat now had no way on her, and had swung broadside to the
schooner, about a hundred yards off.

"They want a bonus," said Jarrow.

"What sort of bonus?"

"Extra wages to work the schooner back to Manila."

"We won't have 'em work the schooner back to Manila at any price."

"You can't git back yourself, Mr. Trask. Can't git out of this
place. It's dangerous. You'll lose her."

"We'd rather take the chance of losing the schooner than have that
cut-throat crew back here, I'll tell you that. They've made their
bed, now they can sleep in it."

"Be I goin' to lose all I got out of this?" wailed Jarrow. "If
you'll let 'em put me aboard, it'll come out all right."

"They can have the island. We don't want it," said Trask.

"There ain't no gold," said Peth.

"I know it," s