“Pipe down with that,” he growled, and I saw the uselessness of trying to make the lout see reason.  I now began to fear that he would tell Thirkle what I had said to him.

When we went out for another sack, Petrak looked over at Thirkle and hesitated as if he wanted to say something, but Thirkle was writing in a little book, with a pistol between his feet.

“Well, what is it now?” he demanded truculently, having seen something suspicious in Petrak’s manner.  “What’s the lay now?  What have ye got yer hand so close to that gun for?  Take a shot at me if you want—­go on, take a shot at old Thirkle, if ye’re that game.”

“Only a habit o’ mine, keepin’ my gun well for’ard, Thirkle,” whimpered Petrak, shivering.  “I have to keep a close eye on the writin’ chap, Thirkle.  No offence, I hope.”

“Look lively now, lad,” said Thirkle, turning amiable again, but only to reassure Petrak.  “Here’s the last of it and get it away and we’ll get under way.”

We carried another sack in and I waited until we were at the far end and had dumped it before I began again with Petrak.  I knew his natural treachery was near the surface, and it needed but little urging to bring him to the point when he would turn against Thirkle.

“We might as well say good-bye now,” I said as mournfully as I could.  “You remember I treated you pretty well in Manila, and I’m sorry for you now.  It doesn’t matter much with me how I end now, because Thirkle has the drop on me, but I’m sorry for you—­you ought to have your share of it, and Thirkle ought to play fair with you, but he won’t.  That devil out there will kill us both in the next ten minutes unless you give me a gun and let me kill him.  I’m not afraid of him—­give me a gun!”

“Thirkle ain’t bad,” he said, as if trying to convince himself that he was not afraid of Thirkle.  “He ain’t bad—­he said he’d play fair with me, and he will.”

I laughed gently.

“Yes, he’ll play fair—­with himself.  He’s out there now putting down directions for getting back here—­alone.  Give me a gun, and let me free, and I’ll kill him for you.  When I’ve settled him I’ll call you, and if he gets me it’s all the same—­except that you’ll lose in the end.

“But with me you have a chance to win—­can’t you see that?  You haven’t a chance with Thirkle.  If he gets me, don’t trust him—­shoot him the minute you can get the muzzle of your pistol on him.  If you let me try you have two chances at him, and you can kill me if you choose afterward—­or give me a knife if you don’t dare to let me have a gun.”

“He’ll do for ye.  Not a chance for ye with Thirkle in gun-play.”

“But give me a chance to fight for my life,” I pleaded.  “If I can put him out of the way, so much the better for you; but it’s death for both of us if we go on this way.  Give me a gun, and I swear I’ll let you go free if we ever get off this island.”

“He’ll kill you and then come and get me,” he whined.  “There ain’t a chance to get Thirkle as easy as that.  He’ll do for me if you take a shot at him.”