lly struck Ayrton:--

"Our brig is a famous acquisition."

"She sails well, and merits her name of the _Speedy_."

"She would show all the navy of Norfolk a clean pair of heels."

"Hurrah for her captain!"

"Hurrah for Bob Harvey!"

What Ayrton felt when he overheard this fragment of conversation may be
understood when it is known that in this Bob Harvey he recognised one of
his old Australian companions, a daring sailor, who had continued his
criminal career. Bob Harvey had seized, on the shores of Norfolk
Island, this brig, which was loaded with arms, ammunition, utensils, and
tools of all sorts, destined for one of the Sandwich Islands. All his
gang had gone on board, and pirates after having been convicts, these
wretches, more ferocious than the Malays themselves, scoured the
Pacific, destroying vessels, and massacring their crews.

The convicts spoke loudly, they recounted their deeds, drinking deeply
at the same time, and this is what Ayrton gathered. The actual crew of
the _Speedy_ was composed solely of English prisoners, escaped from
Norfolk Island.

Here it may be well to explain what this island was. In 29 degrees 2
minutes south latitude, and 165 degrees 42 minutes east longitude, to
the east of Australia, is found a little island, six miles in
circumference, overlooked by Mount Pitt, which rises to a height of 1100
feet above the level of the sea. This is Norfolk Island, once the seat
of an establishment in which were lodged the most intractable convicts
from the English penitentiaries. They numbered 500, under an iron
discipline, threatened with terrible punishments, and were guarded by
150 soldiers, and 150 employed under the orders of the governor. It
would be difficult to imagine a collection of greater ruffians.
Sometimes,--although very rarely,--notwithstanding the extreme
surveillance of which they were the object, many managed to escape, and
seizing vessels which they surprised, they infested the Polynesian
Archipelagos. [Note. Norfolk Island has long since been abandoned as a
penal settlement.]

Thus had Bob Harvey and his companions done. Thus had Ayrton formerly
wished to do. Bob Harvey had seized the brig _Speedy_, anchored in
sight of Norfolk Island; the crew had been massacred; and for a year
this ship had scoured the Pacific, under the command of Harvey, now a
pirate, and well-known to Ayrton!

The convicts were, for the most part, assembled under the poop; but a
few,