where he had purposely left one of the cabin
windows open; through this the boys contrived, with his help, to
scramble.

"You'd better hide somewhere in the hold, Mr Frank," he whispered, as
young Wilmore, who was the last, prepared to follow his companions.

"No, on the lower deck, Jennings; we've a hiding-place there, no one
will find out. When you think it's safe for us to show ourselves, come
down, and whistle a bar or two of one of your tunes, and I'll creep out
to you. But I hope we shan't be kept very long, or we shall run a risk
of being starved, though we have got some grub in our pockets. Good
night, Jennings, and thank you. You're a good fellow, any way, whatever
the captain may be."

"Good night, Mr Frank; mind you keep close till I come to let you out.
I won't keep you waiting no longer than I can help, you may be sure of
that."

Wilmore followed his friends; and the three boys, creeping cautiously
along in the darkness, gained the lower deck unperceived, and were soon
safely ensconced in "Dionysius." Tired out with their day's work, they
all three fell sound asleep.

CHAPTER THREE.

STRANGE TIDINGS--PIRATES ON BOARD--A REVEL--A NARROW ESCAPE--DEATH OF
JENNINGS.

The boys were awakened next morning by the pitching and tossing of the
ship. A storm had come on during the night, which increased in violence
as the morning advanced. It was well for the _Hooghly_ that the fresh
hands had been taken on board, or she would have become wholly
unmanageable. Frank and his friends, in their place of retreat, could
hear the shouts and cries on deck, the rolling of the barrels which had
broken loose from their fastenings, and the washing of the heavy seas
which poured over the gunwales. They made their breakfasts on some of
the fruit and sausages with which they had filled their pockets on the
previous evening, and waited anxiously for old Jennings' arrival. It
was late in the afternoon before he came, and when he did appear, he
would not hear of their venturing to show themselves for the present.

"The cap'en wasn't altogether in a pleasant state of mind yesterday," he
remarked, "but he's in a wuss to-day. He's found out that the most part
of his crew ain't worth a tobacco stopper. I must say the Yankee made a
good pick of it. He got away pretty nigh every smart hand we had
aboard. These new chaps is the best we has now."

"New chaps?" asked Frank. "Has my uncle got any fresh hands?"

"Pi