“The island was uninhabited when my ancestor was cast away upon it.�
“Yes,� said I, “but there may be natives there now, and no savages of the South Seas could be more cruel and ruthless than the men on this ship. To be frank with you, I have no doubt that as soon as they are sure that they have reached the island and that my services are no longer necessary to enable them to find the treasure, they will murder me out of hand.�
“And me?�
“They would not be so merciful to you.�
“But wouldn’t they want to keep you to take the ship back?�
“That is an easy matter,� I answered. “All they would have to do would be to lay a course as nearly possible due east and they would bring up on the South American coast, Peru, Chile, somewhere, it would not make very much difference where, so long as it was near Spanish settlements. Then they would divide the treasure, wreck the ship, and scatter themselves and their gains. No, my usefulness ends as soon as they determine that yonder is the island and that the treasure is there.�
“Let us go,� she said, shuddering.
“I thought you would see it that way,� I replied; “the worst the natives can do, if there are any, is to murder us and I shall always save the last shot—� I paused, I couldn’t bear to say it.
“For me,� she added softly, laying her little hand again upon my arm—and how I loved and prized those little touches, those little evidences of trust and confidence.
I nodded stupidly, speechless as usual.