“You are not going to kill Strang to-morrow,” he added, throwing away the match and placing both hands on Neil’s shoulders.  His eyes were laughing with the joy that shone in them.  “Neil, I am ashamed of you!  You have worried a devilish lot over a very simple matter.  See here—­” He blew a cloud of smoke over the other’s head.  “I’ve learned to demand some sort of pay for my services since I landed on this island.  Will you promise to be—­a sort of brother—­to me—­if I steal Marion and sail away with her to-night?”

CHAPTER VI

MARION

At Nathaniel’s astonishing words Neil stood as though struck suddenly dumb.

“Don’t you see what a very simple case it is?” he continued, enjoying the other’s surprised silence.  “You plan to kill Strang to keep Marion from marrying him.  Well, I will hunt up Marion, put her in a bag if necessary, and carry her to my ship.  Isn’t that better and safer and just as sure as murder?”

The excitement had gone out of Neil’s face.  The flush slowly faded from his cheeks and in his eyes there gleamed something besides the malevolence of a few moments before.  As Nathaniel stepped back from him half laughing and puffing clouds of smoke from his pipe Marion’s brother thrust his hands into his pockets with an exclamation that forcefully expressed his appreciation of Captain Plum’s scheme.

“I never thought of that,” he added, after a moment.  “By Heaven, it will be easy—­”

“So easy that I tell you again I am ashamed of you for not having thought of it!” cried Nathaniel.  “The first thing is to get safely aboard my ship.”

“We can do that within an hour.”

“And to-night—­where will we find Marion?”

“At home,” said Neil.  “We live near Obadiah.  You must have seen the house as you came out into the clearing this morning from the forest.”

Nathaniel smiled as he thought of his suspicions of the old councilor.

“It couldn’t be better situated for our work,” he said.  “Does the forest run down to the lake on Obadiah’s side of the island?”

“Clear to the beach.”

Neil’s face betrayed a sudden flash of doubt.

“I believe that our place has been watched for some time,” he explained.  “I am sure that it is especially guarded at night and that no person leaves or enters it without the knowledge of Strang.  I am certain that Marion is aware of this surveillance although she professes to be wholly ignorant of it.  It may cause us trouble.”

“Can you reach the house without being observed?”

“After midnight—­yes.”

“Then there is no cause for alarm,” declared Nathaniel.  “If necessary I can bring ten men into the edge of the woods.  Two can approach the house as quietly as one and I will go with you.  Once there you can tell Marion that your life depends on her accompanying you to Obadiah’s.  I believe she will go.  If she won’t—­” He stretched out his arms as if in anticipation of the burden they might hold.  “If she won’t—­I’ll help you carry her!”