the youngster beyond measure.

"You're the biggest baby of the five!" he roared. "You're a madman! Come
away, Verslun; it's no use arguing with him!"

The Professor gave an indignant snort, straightened his small body, as
if he contemplated an attack upon the youngster, then dashed madly back
to the fire, where we watched him bobbing his head up and down as he
spoke to the two girls. His confidence in the rascal who was possibly
luring him to his death was pitiful to see, and we recognized at that
moment that it would be useless to waste any further arguments with him.

"We've got to get out of this scrape by our own efforts," muttered
Holman. "The girls won't leave him, worse luck. If they would I'd turn
tail this minute and make an attempt to fight our way back to the
yacht."

"And I doubt if you will find a haven there," I remarked. "That bilious
captain was in a great hurry to send word to Leith that I had got safely
by his farewell bombardment. We're in for it, old man, and we might as
well realize the fact right now."

"You're not sorry I found you on that pile of pearl shell?"

"Sorry?" I cried. "I'm glad, man--I'm infernally glad."

Holman gripped my hand, and then we crawled through the bushes toward
the spot where Soma and Leith had started off on their supposed work of
exploration.