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 of hammering ascended—as though they were smashing woodwork. It was evident he meant to leave no stone unturned before abandoning his search.

"Sometimes I feel sorry I dragged you into this, Tempest," the boy said. "It looks as if it were going to turn out a fizzle."

"I'm not sorry—yet," Tempest replied. "I 'll be able to tell you more about my feelings to-morrow. I'm wondering whether that old villain really would shoot in cold blood if we went down there boldly and got busy on the Hatteras. It would be an exciting experiment."

"Too exciting for me," said Dave. "I don't like the look in his eye when he's pointing the business end of that rifle at us. Yes, I'm afraid he would shoot, because he knows it's a long way to the nearest policeman. He could polish us off without a soul being the wiser except his Kanakas, and at a pinch he could say it was done in self-defense."