"All right, Jennings," said Warley. "And now I suppose you want to get
out of this again?"

"Yes, sir; you must help me. Getting out will be worse than getting in,
I am afraid."

The lantern was extinguished, the keg removed, and with much pain and
difficulty the old man was helped out. The next twenty-four hours were
passed in the utmost anxiety by the three lads, who would hardly allow
themselves even to whisper to one another, for fear of being overheard
by the pirates. All the morning they could hear the preparations for
the feast going on. Some casks in the lower deck, which, as they knew,
contained some unusually fine wine, were broken open, and the bottles
carried on deck. Planks also were handed up to make tables and benches.
From the conversation of the men employed in the work, they learned
that the feast was to take place in the forecastle, none of the cabins
being large enough to hold the entire party. Once they caught a mention
of Mr Lavie's name, and learned that he had been all night in
attendance on Amos Wood, the sailor who had been attacked by fever at
Porto Prayo, and that the man had died that morning, and been thrown
overboard. The doctor, it was said, had now turned in for a long sleep.
The boys guessed that his day would be differently employed. About six
o'clock in the evening, everything seemed to be in readiness. The tramp
of feet above was heard as the men took their places at table, and was
followed by the rattling of plates and knives and forks, and the oaths
and noisy laughter of the revellers. These grew more vociferous as the
evening passed on, and after an hour or two the uproar was heightened by
the crash of glass, and the frequent outbreak of quarrels among the
guests, which were with difficulty suppressed by their more sober
comrades. Then benches were overturned, and the noise of bodies falling
on the deck was heard, as man after man became stupidly intoxicated.
The uproar gradually died out, until nothing was audible, but drunken
snores, or the unsteady steps of some few of the sailors, who were
supposed to be keeping watch.

It was about two hours after midnight when the expected summons came.
Frank crept out first, followed by Nick and Ernest. They found Mr
Lavie and Joe Cobbes waiting for them.

"Everything is ready, Ernest," whispered the doctor. "We've put as many
provisions and arms into the jolly-boat as we can safely carry; but you
had better take a brace