“You were correct in both your surmises,” said Storms. “We were always prepared to make a fight, and, with our guns against your spears, we would have beaten you off. The pearls, too, were carefully concealed where you never would have found them.”
“I was well convinced of that, so we resorted to strategy. I was to go with a couple of the men and bring you away, trying all the time if I could to secure the pearls, which, of course, were afterwards to be disposed of and the proceeds divided among us––the intention being that when we got you on the proa, you would be pitched overboard, for then the situation would be so changed that we could manage it without trouble. If I thought it unsafe to make the attempt, I had only to wait until reinforcements should come up; for the larger boat, knowing the course I was to take on my return, had only to be on the lookout for us, and we would be sure to descry each other.”
“And that was to be your signal that you had us 234 aboard?” said Storms, pointing to the fluttering handkerchief.
“That’s it precisely,” assented Sanders. “But there was one force which we did not think to provide against,” added the young man, in a low voice, in which Storms detected a slight tremor.
“What was that?”
“An awakened conscience,” was the impressive answer. “And it was she who aroused the sleeper. There was something in the goodness of the girl––the faith which she showed not only in heaven but in me as well––that upset all my calculations. Then, too, she seemed to say the right words just at the right time; and you saw how I suffered.”
“Yes; and it gave me great hope; for, Fred, I distrusted you from the beginning. I saw many little things which you never supposed I nor any one else would notice. And I may add,” said the mate, with a sly twinkle, “that I endeavored always to be prepared for you.”
The face of Sanders flushed, but he added, with the same seriousness:
“Matters now are going in accordance with the program arranged days ago. The large proa yonder has been waiting for us, and we are now to keep on converging lines until we meet to-night.”
“Do you intend to follow out your agreement?”