esire to take with you
shall be brought on board, but I cannot allow you much time for your
preparations, Miss Tracy. Your father or Captain O'Brien will assist
you in packing your trunk."

Captain Tracy, knowing that it would be useless to remonstrate, replied
that they should be speedily ready; and the pirate left the cabin.

Norah, endeavouring to calm her agitation, immediately set to work to
pack up the things she knew that she should most require, while her
father and Captain O'Brien tumbled theirs into a couple of valises; so
that in a few minutes, when the pirate again entered the cabin, they
were prepared to obey his orders. He was accompanied by a couple of men
who, taking up their luggage, followed them on deck, to which he led the
way. The darkness fortunately prevented Norah from seeing the marks of
blood which stained the planks; she could only distinguish a number of
dark forms moving about, engaged in repairing the damages the ship had
received. She lay hove to, with the other vessel a short distance from
her. A boat was alongside, into which the pirate desired the two old
captains and Norah to descend, he offering his hand to assist her. She
thanked him in as courteous a tone as she could command, and, the boat
shoving off, the crew pulled away for the _Ouzel Galley_.

"You are not a stranger to this ship, Miss Tracy," observed the pirate,
as he handed Norah on deck. "I regret that I was compelled to capture
her, and to deprive her former master, my worthy friend Owen Massey, of
his command." He spoke in a somewhat sarcastic tone, which Norah
observed, but she wisely made no reply. "You will be safer in the
cabin, where you will find yourselves at home," he continued; "my brave
fellows are somewhat lawless, and it is as well to keep out of their
sight." The pirate, as he spoke, led the way into the cabin. As they
entered it, he requested that she would consider herself its mistress.
"My black steward will attend to your wants, and will bring you whatever
you may order. I have now to see to the navigation of the ship, so that
I cannot for the present enjoy your society," he said.

Having led Norah to a sofa and desired his other guests, as he choose to
call them, to be seated, he hurried from the cabin.

The light from a handsome silver lamp hung in the usual position showed
them that no change had been made in its arrangements since the _Ouzel
Galley_ had sailed from Waterford.

"We mi