corvette being the nearest to us. Beyond her I could see the masts
of the schooner; they were bending over away from her antagonist. For a
few seconds my attention was drawn from her, as I had to assist in
bracing round the yards; when I looked again the masts had disappeared,
the corvette was standing on also, about to brace round her head yards--
the schooner had sunk with every human being on board. We saw no boat
lowered to attempt saving the lives of any who might be still floating
on the surface. Perhaps none were seen.

Captain Bland, hoping that he might possibly obtain some information
about the "Lady Alice" on board the corvette at once borrowed a boat and
invited me to accompany him to visit her. He was remarkably silent as
we pulled for the ship, and thus my mind had time to recur to the gloomy
thoughts which had before pained me so much.

"What if on board that schooner there were others than her crew--
prisoners taken from any vessel they might have pillaged? All had
shared the common fate, and I had been instrumental in their
destruction. What if the pirates had, as I dreaded, attacked the `Lady
Alice', and carried off Mrs Bland and Mary?" The idea was too
terrible; I tried to put it away from me. Perhaps the same thought was
causing anguish to the heart of my friend. I was thankful when we got
alongside the corvette; our fears would be relieved, or we might know
the worst. The accommodation ladder was lowered and manned to do us
honour, and the captain, an Englishman by his appearance, stood ready to
receive us. He put out his hand as Captain Bland stepped on deck, and
warmly greeted him.

"I am deeply obliged, captain, for the service you have rendered me in
knocking away that rascally schooner's spars," he said in a frank tone.

"She might have got off otherwise, and given me another long cruise in
search of her. I have been on the look-out for the villains for months
past; for they have plundered numerous vessels, and sunk or destroyed
others I suspect, besides pillaging the villages along the coast. I
should have been glad to have taken them alive to have had them tried,
but our shot made more sure work than I expected."

"Can you tell me, sir, the names of the English vessels the pirates are
supposed to have plundered?" asked Captain Bland in an agitated tone.

"If we are to believe the stories current at the Peruvian ports, I
should say half-a-dozen at least," answered the captai