But it was not intended, so it seems, that I should do so." "Why does Adrian Van Zoon want me put out of the way ?" "That I don't know, Peter, but when you escape from the island you must find out." His eyelids drooped and closed once more, and when Robert felt for his pulse a third time there was none.

The slaver and pirate was gone, and the lad was alone.
Robert felt an immense desolation.

Whatever the man was he had striven to keep him alive, and at the last the captain had shown desire to undo some of the evil that he had done to him.

And so it was Adrian Van Zoon who wished to put him out of the way.

He had suspected that before, in fact he had been convinced of it, and now the truth of it had been told to him by another.