n't mind, unload your gun, and give me the ca'tridges. I'll
turn 'em over to ye when ye leave for the island. How's that?"

"I'll compromise," said Trask. "Suppose Miss Locke keeps the gun?
You'd hardly expect Miss Locke to shoot you in the back, would
you?"

"I'll take the ca'tridges," said Jarrow, coming down and holding
out his hand. "I ain't figurin' on anybody changin' their mind, but
it'll be better to make sure."

"Give him what he wants," said Locke. "We'll play the game as the
cards run."

So Trask took out the magazine, and removed the cartridge from the
chamber of the pistol and surrendered the ammunition.

Jarrow went into his room for the paper, and they heard him
fumbling in the little bulkhead desk.

"No use arguing with a man when he's got the drop on you," said
Locke. "If it wasn't for Miss Trinkets, here, it might be
different. But I'd rather pay up than see anybody hurt."

Trask sat with his empty pistol across his knees, thoroughly
dejected, staring out over the blood-red sea. Already a star, close
to the horizon, had popped out, and the top of the island was
gathering gloom.

"I was a fool ever to take you people on such a wild-goose chase,"
said Trask. "I'll have to pay you back every dollar of this, Mr.
Locke."

"Pay nothing," said Locke.

"I'm the one to blame, Dad," said Marjorie, laying her hand on his
arm. She was quite white, but she smiled faintly. "And you can't
blame yourself, Mr. Trask. It was all my plan from the first, Dad.
We plotted to inveigle you into coming to the island, at least I
abetted Mr. Trask, and I'm glad I came."

"I'm satisfied----" said Locke, with a whimsical smile, and before
he could go on he was interrupted by a scream of rage inside the
cabin.

They all sprang up as Tom dashed from the galley and looked into
the captain's cabin. They saw the white form of the Chinese against
the dark interior, and heard a terrific struggle going on, with the
sound of shoes being hammered against the bulkhead.

As the three pressed in to look over Tom's shoulder Dinshaw leaped
from the deck of the captain's cabin, and yelling like mad, ran up
the companion and dived over the taffrail.

Trask ran after him in time to hear him splash into the water, and
turning to come through the cabin for the long boat, heard Jarrow
sobbing on the deck, and crawling about, or so it seemed, for the
captain's arms were moving like a swimmer's although he was making
no progress for