with a lantern, it was
impossible to say.

"Cease paddling," whispered Owen; and the canoe glided on with the
impulse already given to it.

The light remained stationary.

"Give way," he again whispered. The men plied paddles as before. They
had got some way further down, when they were startled by hearing a man
shout, "Who goes there?"

They all remained perfectly silent and motionless. Just then the noise
of the surf on the shore reached their ears, and they knew that they
must be close to the entrance.

The man did not repeat his question for nearly a minute. As soon as he
again began to speak, Owen told Dan and Tim to paddle away. He and
Pompey did so likewise, and the canoe glided forward at a far more rapid
rate than before. A shot was heard, but the bullet came nowhere near
them. It was evident they could not be seen by the guard. The channel
now widened out considerably, and they could distinguish the open sea
beyond; they made towards it. There was but little or no surf on the
bar, and they crossed without shipping a drop of water.

Owen had made up his mind to steer to the southward till they should
sight Cuba. He felt sure that the pirate island was one of those which
exist close to the Bahama Bank. Owen steered by the stars. His crew
plied their paddles all night, the wind being too light to make it worth
while to set the sail, and they hoped to be far out of sight of the
island by daybreak. They were not without fear, however, that they
might be pursued. The man who had fired at them would suppose that they
were fugitives.

"Ill luck to the spalpeens who may be sent in chase after us!" observed
Dan, showing what he was thinking about.

"Me no tink dat any boat come off after us," said Pompey, "'cos ebery
man who can pull an oar is on board _Ouzel Galley_, so we safe as to
dat."

The black's remark was cheering to Owen, who had hitherto thought it
very probable that they would be pursued. Mammy, who as yet had not
uttered a word, corroborated her son's statement.

When morning broke the island could scarcely be seen astern, nor was any
land in sight ahead. The sea was perfectly calm; the sky overhead
undimmed by a cloud. Owen looked round; no sail was visible in any
direction. All they could do was to paddle on, in the hope that a
favourable breeze would spring up to carry them on their course, when
two at a time might get some sleep. The weather looked perfectly
settled, and