plucking.

Captain Lane's decision was instantaneous. He knew that the white
feather never helped one out with such fellows. It was all the work of
an instant. The stranger ran a couple of lengths astern the _Ocean
Star_, swung his main-yard aback and hailed; but while the bold
buccaneer was doing this, Captain Lane had performed an equally
sea-manlike manoeuvre. He caught his sails aback, and his vessel having
stern way, he shifted his helm, backed her round, and, filling away on
the other tack, stood directly for the pirate.

It was the stranger's time to hail now. The _Ocean Star_ was a sharp,
strong, fast-sailing vessel, and was under good headway and perfect
control. Captain Lane then acted hurriedly, but with precision, giving
his orders to his mate and helmsman, and, seizing the cabin lantern and
his speaking trumpet, he jumped upon the topgallant forecastle, and,
holding up his lamp, made the master mason's "_hailing sign of
distress_." He then hailed through his trumpet, in quick, determined
syllables:

"Brig ahoy! Unless you swear as a man or as a Mason that you will not
molest me, as true as there is a God, we will sink together!"

Quick as thought, the answer came back through the trumpet, clear and
distinct:

"I swear as a Mason! Hard up your helm!"

"Hard up your helm!" the captain shouted aft, and, paying off like a
bird, the _Ocean Star_ swept by the stranger's stern near enough to
almost touch her. As they went sailing past her, it became Captain
Lane's turn to bend forward with a lantern, and ascertain who his new
acquaintance was. There, painted in blood-red letters on the black
stern, was the name

MORGIANNA.

He had scarce read it, when the same clear tones, more subdued, hailed
him, as he thought, with somewhat of kindness:

"Captain, do me the favor to back your main-yard; I will come aboard of
you--_alone_!"

[Illustration: Morgianna.]

The captain gave the necessary orders, and "hove to" within three or
four cables' length of the stranger; and in a very few minutes a
four-oared boat, containing but a single figure besides the crew, was
seen approaching the _Ocean Star_.

Captain Lane had a ladder put over the gangway and threw a rope to the
boat as it came alongside; and the next moment the stranger sprang upon
the deck of the _Ocean Star_.

With an easy grace he gave to the captain the quick, intelligible sign
of the "great brotherhood" and, taking his arm familiarly, wal