Dr. Beauregard smiled.  “The purport of my lecture, ma’am, was to prepare you for a question which I have to put.  When these men arrive, Captain Branscome, Mr. Goodfellow, and I must deal with them.  Are you ladies prepared to exercise strong self-control?  Will you, with Harry Brooks, await us here until our business is over?”

“Excuse me, sir, but I must first know what your business is.”

“That, ma’am, will depend upon circumstances; but it is more than likely to be serious.”

“I must trouble you, now and always, to speak to me definitely.  If you propose to shoot these men, kindly say so.”

“I do not, ma’am.  But their boat lies on the next beach, and as soon as they launch her they will discover us; and as soon as they discover us it will be life for life.”

“But they need not discover us.  In five minutes we can embark ourselves and our belongings; in less than fifteen we can round the point to the south’ard, and beyond it lie two or three small coves where, as I judged in passing, a boat can lie reasonably safe from observation.”

“Admirably reasoned, ma’am.  By all means take the boat—­take Harry Brooks with you, and Mr. Goodfellow for protection.  But Captain Branscome and I must stay and see it out with these men.”

“For my part,” put in Plinny, “I cannot see why these men have not as much right as we to the treasure; and, in any case, if we let them go they leave us a clear coast to hunt for the rest.”

“Captain Branscome”—­Dr. Beauregard turned to him—­“do these ladies, as a rule, assert a voice in your dispositions?”

“They do, sir,” answered the Captain, with a tired smile; “and if you will take my advice, the only way with them is to make a clean breast of everything.”

“I will.”  The Doctor faced about, with a smile.  “You must know then, ladies, that these two ruffians—­for by this time there are two only—­will presently be coming down to the next beach to launch their boat and leave the island.  How do I know this?  Because my study of treasure-hunters has given me a kind of instinct; or because, if you prefer it, I have observed that the moment—­the crucial moment—­when these fellows quarrel is always the moment when, having laid hands on as much as they can carry, they turn to retreat.  You doubt my diagnosis, ma’am?” he asked, turning to Miss Belcher.  “Then I can convince you even more simply.  These men are not camping here to-night; they will not return to-morrow to fetch a second load; and for the sufficient reason that there is no second load.  I know the amount of treasure hidden where they have been searching.  Two men can lift and carry it easily.”

“How do you happen to know this?” asked Miss Belcher, eyeing him from under contracted brows.

“For the excellent reason, ma’am, that I put the treasure there myself.”

The answer, staggering to the rest of us, seemed to brace her together.  She had lowered her musket at the beginning of the discussion; but now, throwing up her head with a sharp jerk, she levelled her eyes on Dr. Beauregard’s, as straight as though they looked along a gun-barrel.