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It was this here fool dude and that scoundrel Theriere that put us up to it. They

told us that you an' Skipper Simms was a-fixin' to double-cross us all an' leave us

here to starve on this Gawd-forsaken islan'. Theriere said that he was with you

when you planned it. That you wanted to git rid o' as many of us as you could so

that you'd have more of the ransom to divide. So all we done was in self-defense,

as it were.

"Why not let bygones be bygones, an' all of us join forces ag'in' these murderin'

heathen? There won't be any too many of us at best--Red an' Wison seen more'n

two thousan' of the man-eatin' devils. They're a-creepin' up on us from behin'

right this minute, an' you can lay to that; an' the chances are that they got some

special kind o' route into that there cove, an' maybe they're a-watchin' of you

right now!"

Ward turned an apprehensive glance to either side. There was logic in Bony's

proposal. They couldn't spare a man now. Later he could punish the offenders at

his leisure--when he didn't need them any further.

Will you swear on the Book to do your duty by Skipper Simms an' me if we take

you back?" asked Ward.

"You bet," answered Bony Sawyer.

The others nodded their heads, and Divine sprang up and started down toward

Ward.

Hol' on you!" commanded the mate. "This here arrangement don' include you--

it's jes' between Skipper Simms an' his sailors. You're a rank outsider, an' you

butts in an' starts a mutiny. Ef you come back you gotta stand trial fer that--

see?"

"You better duck, mister," advised Red Sanders; "they'll hang you sure."

Divine went white. To face trial before two such men as Simms and Ward meant

death, of that he was positive. To flee into the forest meant death, almost equally

certain, and much more horrible. The man went to his knees, lifting supplicating

hands to the mate.

"For God's sake, Mr. Ward," he cried, "be merciful. I was led into this by Theriere.

He lied to me just as he did to the men. You can't kill me--it would be murder--

they'd hang you for it."

We'll hang for this muss you got us into anyway, if we're ever caught," growled

the mate. "Ef you hadn't a-carried the girl off to be murdered we might have had

The Mucker