Part 54 (2/2)

”Don't touch me!”

”Now, don't be a little fool!” he said, harshly. ”You make me sick with your tantrums! Come on, now.”

But she screamed the louder, seeming to stand in the utmost terror of him.

With a savage exclamation, Gage tore off his coat and wrapped it about the girl's head so that her cries were smothered.

”Perhaps that will keep you still a bit!” he snapped, catching her up in his arms, and bearing her to the smaller boat, in which he carefully placed her.

She did not faint. As her hands were bound behind her, she could not remove the coat from about her head, and she sat as he placed her, with it enveloping her nearly to the waist.

”Is everything ready?” asked Gage. ”Where are all the guns? Somebody take Tomlinson's weapons. Let Jaggers have his. He may need them when we are gone.”

”Don't leave me here to die alone!” piteously pleaded the wounded sailor. ”I'm pretty well gone now, but I don't want to be left here alone!”

Gage left the small boat for a moment, and approached the spot where the pleading wretch lay.

”Jaggers,” he said, ”it's the fate you deserve. You agreed to stand by me, but you went back on your oath, and tried to kill me.”

”And now you're going to leave me here to bleed to death or starve?”

”Why shouldn't I? The tables are turned on you, my fine fellow.”

”Well, I'm sure you won't leave me.”

”You are?”

”Yes.”

”Why won't I?”

”This is why!”

Jaggers flung up his hand, from which a spout of flame seemed to leap, and the report of a pistol sounded over the marsh.

Leslie Gage fell in a heap to the ground.

CHAPTER x.x.xII.

A MYSTERIOUS TRANSFORMATION.

”Ha! ha! ha!” wildly laughed the wounded sailor. ”That time he did not escape! Leave me to die, would he? Well, he is dead already, for I shot him through the brain!”

”That's where you are mistaken, Jaggers,” said the cool voice of the boyish leader of the mutineers. ”I saw your move, saw the revolver, and dropped in time to avoid the bullet.”

Gage sprang to his feet.

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