some between her blue lips. And Pearse chafed her hands and patted them, gazing down at her in silent awe.

“Venner,” he whispered, when her eyes refused to open, “we must let this settle the score against her. It’s a terrible end for such a creature.”

“For my part, Pearse, I would give all I have just to see those great violet eyes laugh at me again; to hear that mocking laugh from her maddening lips. God, will she never awake?”

Astern of the schooner the sun was slowly descending to the western sea-rim, and as the course was resumed after picking up Dolores, the Point and the cliff gradually drew out across the path of the sun, until the outlines of the rock and trees stood out black and sharp. On the cliff-top a heavy pall of greasy smoke hung low about the shattered pirates’