Part 27 (2/2)

Here, in a little cove, lay a small schooner, the Cowrie, whose decks had but a few days since run red with the blood of her officers and the loyal members of her crew, for the Cowrie had fallen upon bad days when it had shi+pped such men as Gust and Mo of Fachan

There were others, too, ten of them all told, the scu were the brains and cunning of the coht seize and divide the catch of pearls which constituted the wealth of the Cowrie's cargo

It was Kai Shang who had murdered the captain as he lay asleep in his berth, and it had been Momulla the Maori who had led the attack upon the officer of the watch

Gust, after his own peculiar habit, had foundof life Not that Gust entertained any scruples on the subject, other than those which induced in hiard for his own personal safety There is always a certain element of risk to the assassin, for victims of deadly assault are seldom prone to die quietly and considerately There is always a certain eleo so far as to dispute the issue with the murderer It was this chance of dispute which Gust preferred to forgo

But now that the as done the Swede aspired to the position of highest coone so far as to appropriate and wear certain articles belonging to the murdered captain of the Cowrie-articles of apparel which bore upon the was peeved He had no love for authority, and certainly not the slightest intention of sub to the domination of an ordinary Swede sailor

The seeds of discontent were, therefore, already planted in the cale Island But Kai Shang realized that he must act with circumspection, for Gust alone of the et theenial waters where they otten wealth, and no questions asked

The day before they sighted Jungle Island and discovered the little land-locked harbour upon the bosom of which the Cowrie now rode quietly at anchor, the watch had discovered the smoke and funnels of a warshi+p upon the southern horizon

The chance of being spoken to and investigated by a man-of-war appealed not at all to any of theer should have passed

And now Gust did not wish to venture out to sea again There was no telling, he insisted, but that the shi+p they had seen was actually searching for the pointed out that such could not be the case since it was i other than thee of what had transpired aboard the Cowrie

But Gust was not to be persuaded In his wicked heart he nursed a scheht increase his share of the booty by so like one hundred per cent He alone could sail the Cowrie, therefore the others could not leave Jungle Island without him; but as there to prevent Gust, with just sufficient , Momulla the Maori, and some half of the crehen opportunity presented?

It was for this opportunity that Gust waited So, Momulla, and three or four of the others would be absent fro The Swede racked his brain for soht of the anchored shi+p those whoanized hunting party after hunting party, but always the devil of perversity see, so that wily celestial would never hunt except in the co spoke secretly with Mo into the brown ear of his co the Swede Mo knife through the heart of the traitor

It is true that Kai Shang had no other evidence than the natural cunning of his own knavish soul-but he iined in the intentions of Gust what he hilad to accomplish had the means lain at hand

But he dared not let Mouide them to their destination They decided, however, that it would do no har to their deht out the self-constituted commander of the party

When he broached the subject of iain raised his forht very probably be patrolling the sea directly in their southern path, waiting for them to make the attempt to reach other waters

Mo out that as no one aboard any warshi+p knew of their mutiny there could be no reason why they should be suspected

”Ah!” exclai There is where you are lucky that you have an educated e, Mo of wireless”

The Maori leaped to his feet and laid his hand upon the hilt of his knife

”I a,” the Swede hastened to explain ”We are old friends, Momulla; we cannot afford to quarrel, at least not while old Kai Shang is plotting to steal all the pearls froate the Cowrie he would leave us in aaway froet rid of us”