CHAPTER XIII
THE INVASION
The next day, on the beach, Donagan and his party found an upturned ship's boat, evidently newly-driven ashore, but could discover no trace of survivors. Three days later, Briant, Gordon and Jack came across a woman half-dead from fatigue and hunger not very far from French Den. She was Kate Ready, servant to a family that had sailed from San Francisco on a merchant ship, the Severn. When she was able to speak she told them that nine days out of port the majority of the crew, headed by a scoundrel, Walston, had mutinied, seized the ship, killed the captain, the loyal sailors and the few passengers, sparing only Kate and Mr. Evans, the first-mate, whom they forced at the muzzle of a revolver to navigate the ship. Fire, however, broke out, the ship was abandoned, and finally the long boat was driven ashore on the island. Kate had escaped, leaving Mr. Evans still a prisoner. The mutineers were striving to repair the boat in order to get away.
Such was Kate's story — and a very serious state of affairs was revealed by it. On Charman Island, where the young colonists had hitherto lived in complete security, there had landed now seven men capable of any crime. If they discovered French Den, would they hesitate to attack it? No. They had too real an interest in seizing its stores, taking away its provisions, weapons, and particularly its tools, without which it would be impossible for them to repair their boat so as to fit her for sea. And what resistance could Briant and his comrades offer when the eldest was only fifteen, and the youngest scarcely ten years old? Was this not an alarming state of things? If Walston remained on the island, there could be no doubt he would attack them. The interest with which Kate was listened to can be easily imagined.
Only one thing Briant thought of— that Donagan, Wilcox, Webb, and Cross were now in great peril. How could they be on their guard if they did not know
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