my part," said Burke.

"I didn't know we had arms on board!"

"Well, what we have don't amount to much," said Burke. "But this was the
way of it. After I heard the message from Captain Horn about the
pirates, and everything, and as I didn't know exactly what sort of craft
we would meet round about Jamaica, I thought we would feel a good deal
safer, especially on account of you and Miss Croup, if we had some
firearms aboard. So I put in some repeating rifles and ammunition, and I
paid for them out of my own pocket! Such things always come in useful,
and while I was commanding the vessel on which you were sailing, Mrs.
Cliff, I didn't want to feel that I'd left anything undone which ought
to be done. Of course, there was no reason to suppose that we would ever
have to use them, but I knew I would feel better if I had them. But
there was one thing I needn't have done, and that was,--I needn't have
opened them, which I did the other day in company with Mr. Burdette,
because I hadn't had time before to examine them, and I wanted to see
what they were. Some of the crew must have noticed the guns, and as they
couldn't think why we wanted them, unless we were going on a
filibustering expedition, they got that notion into their heads and so
cut the ship. It was easy enough to do it, for we were moored to a
pier, and the second mate, whose watch they went away in, was most
likely at the head of the whole business!"

"But what are we going to do?" asked Mrs. Cliff.

"I must get another crew just as soon as I can," said he, "and there
isn't a minute to be lost! I was stretching a point when I agreed to
stop over a day, but I thought we could afford that and reach Kingston
as soon as Shirley does, but when he gets there with his message to the
Captain of the _Dunkery Beacon_, I want to be on hand. There's no
knowing what will have to be done, or what will have to be said. I don't
want Shirley to think that he's got nobody to stand by him!"

"Indeed," said Mrs. Cliff, "we ought to lose no time, for Captain Horn
may be there. It is a most dreadful misfortune to lose the crew this
way! Can't you find them again? Can't you make them come back?"

"If they don't want to be found," said Burke, "it will take a good while
to find them. But I'm going on shore this minute, and I wish you would
be good enough to tell Miss Croup and the ministers how matters stand!"

The news of the desertion of the crew when told by Mrs. Cliff to those
o