It lay behind a low piece of coral rock, fastened to an iron ring by means of a rope, while the oars lay in readiness on the thwarts.
Sambo now produced a heavy iron chain, with which the boat was speedily fastened to the ring.

It was secured with a large padlock, the key of which Ole placed in his pocket.
This being satisfactorily accomplished, they returned to the place of ambush.
"Now, Mister Gascoyne," observed Thorwald, with a grim smile, as he sat down beside his men and pulled out his watch, "I will await your pleasure.

It is just half-past eleven; if you are a punctual man, as Jo Bumpus led me to believe, I will try your metal in half an hour, and have you back in your cage before one o'clock! What say you to that, Sambo ?" The faithful native opened his huge mouth wide, and shut his eyes, thereby indicating that he laughed; but he said nothing, bad, good, or indifferent, to his master's facetious observation.

The other natives also grinned, in a quiet but particularly knowing manner, after which the whole party relapsed into profound silence, and kept their midnight watch with exemplary patience and eager expectation.
At this same hour the pirate captain was seated in his cell on the edge of the low bedstead, with his elbows resting on his knees and his face buried in his hands.
The cell was profoundly dark,--so dark that the figure of the prisoner could scarcely be distinguished.
Gascoyne did not move for many minutes; but once or twice a deep sigh escaped him, showing that, although his body was at rest, his thoughts were busy.

At last he moved, and clasped his hands together violently, as if under a strong impulse.