"You here!" exclaimed Harry, starting back.

"And why not?" inquired Brand, with a sinister smile, "haven't I as good a right to be saved as yourself?"

"Certainly, and I am glad you have saved yourself. Still your appearance surprised me a little, as I had thought that no persons except ourselves, had succeeded in reaching this island from the wreck."

"It was a narrow escape for me," answered Brand; "the current which runs round the extremity of this island, caught me, and I would have been whirled past the land, do you see, but for my catching the spur of a rock by which I just succeeded in drawing myself ashore."

"Bad eggs always float," said Turk, making a grimace.

"What mean you, you rascal?" cried Brand; "are you regrettin' my escape?"

"Not exactly, still I'll own I'd rather some of t'others had been saved and you have gone instead."

"Blast you for an unmannerly old dog," shouted Brand; "I've half a mind to give you a taste of a rope's end. Just remember you are under my orders, now, as you were aboard ship."

"I differ with ye there," answered outspoken Turk; "so much in fact, that if you should try to rope's end me, I should have to keel haul you."

And Turk, as he spoke, showed a formidable looking fist, hairy and covered with protuberances like those one see on the knots of an oak.

Brand's eye flashed fire, and he made a step forward.

Then he controlled himself, muttering something in an inaudible voice.

Meanwhile, the eyes of Mary were turned upon the intruder with a mingled expression of fear and dislike.

There was evidently in those eyes some startling resemblance which made the captain feel very uneasy, for he half turned his head, while a ghastly hue overspread his face.

"So," said Harry, breaking the awkward silence, "we did not reach our destination, the volcanic isle, after all."

"No," answered Brand, gloomily.

"Can we not get to it from here?" inquired Mary, eagerly; "I know not why, but I feel as if we should there find my poor, lost papa!"

"Never," thought Brand; "your papa has been food for fishes long before now."

In a few minutes they were at work erecting bowers.

Turk was moving away, with Brand about to follow him, when, turning and catching a sudden glance at the captain, he snatched up his bottle and pocketed it.

"You need not be afraid," said the skipper, with a sneer; "I have a supply of gin of my own," showing a big black bottle, partially protruding from the inside pocket of his jacket.

Turk pulled Harry's sleeve.

"The captain's gin," he whispered, "better than this ere brandy of mine, would make an excellent cosmopolite for the gal in case of sickness."

"You may keep your brandy if you wish," answered Harry, sternly.

At this reproof, old Turk colored and scratched his head like a schoolboy detected in some grave offence.

Then he ran forward, and grasped the young man's hand.

"I wouldn't taste a drop of my grog for the world, since the gal may want it. Still do ye see, human natur' is human natur', and I'm bound to say that I have been selfish in this matter, to the great sorrer of Tom Turk."

Two bowers were soon erected of twigs and leaves; one for the accommodation of the men, the other for Mary.

With their jackets and a multitude of dried leaves, the men formed a pleasant little retreat for the young girl, who thanked them for their pains.

Towards sundown the gale abated. The men took advantage of this to construct, with some fragments of the wreck drifted ashore, a raft, upon which they paddled out to the reef, where several barrels and boxes from the wrecked vessel had drifted. These were found to contain hard bread and salt beef, enough to last them for several weeks.

With some difficulty they got the valuable articles over the reef, and they were paddling them to land, when they saw Mary, whom they had left upon the beach, beckoning to them with an air of fear and excitement.

"We had better let the provision go," said Harry.

"No!" exclaimed Brand, "I am captain here. The gal has probably got scared at nothing."

"Come, Turk!" said Harry, "if this fellow don't choose to follow us, we will leave him."

So saying, the young man plunged into the water, closely followed by the old tar, greatly to the indignation of Brand, who, clenching his fists, muttered to himself:

"I will be even with them, yet."

Meanwhile the beach now being but twenty yards distant from the raft, Harry and his friend were soon ashore.

"Perhaps I was mistaken," said Mary, as she fled to her lover's side, "but I feel quite certain I saw the head of a savage, protruding over the shrubbery near my bower," pointing as she spoke, towards a clump of bushes about forty yards from the sylvan shelter.

Instantly Harry bounded toward the spot, armed with a stout club picked up from the ground.

Turk was about following, when a thought seemed to strike him. He retraced his step, and, taking from his pocket his bottle of grog, rolled it up in a green breadfruit leaf, and presented it to Mary.

"Here, lass!" said he, "please take charge of this and—" here a suppressed sob escaped the old fellow, "if I never return to claim it, keep it as a testamentary of affection from Tom Turk."

Before the girl could reply, he was off after Harry, who, by this time, was close upon the clump of shrubbery.

The young man looked all around him, but could see neither sign nor trace of a savage.

Concluding the girl's fancy had deceived her, both men returned to assure her that such was the case. Mary, however, looked doubtful.

"It may have been fancy," she said, "but somehow I hardly think it was."

Harry endeavoured to quiet her fears, and was finally successful.

Meanwhile Turk was noticed to behave in a singular manner. He would walk all round the girl, looking at her, now and then, in a significant manner winking first with one eye and then the other.

Annoyed, Harry at length asked him what he wanted.

"Beg pardon, Miss," he stammered "but if you please, that bottle of grog!"

Mary blushed, and thrusting her hand in the pocket of her dress, pulled forth the flask, which she at once presented to the old sailor.

"Thank ye, Miss," said he, "it shall be preserved for your benefit."

So saying he pocketed the flask, and waded off to the raft to help get the box and barrel ashore.

This was soon done.

"We had better stand watch, to-night," said Harry, when the articles were brought to the shelter.

"Wherefore?" queried Brand.

"Because Miss Manton will feel much easier, if we do."

"Oh! very well, you can stand watch if you like, but I don't care to lose my sleep for nothing."

Night soon closed round the party.

Harry took the first watch, while Turk rolled up like a ball, lay cuddled in a corner of the hut.

The storm having now subsided, the sea was almost calm. There was a full moon, but the clouds passing along over the sky, in detached masses, frequently veiled it.

Harry was pacing his beat, not far from the shrubbery in which Mary had fancied she saw the savage, when he suddenly paused, with his ear inclined to one side.

Steps, mingled with the murmur of voices, were audible, apparently approaching the hut!