s waist. In this shawl were placed two pair of pistols and a
heavy cutlass. He wore a beard and moustache, which, like the locks on
his head, were short, curly, and sprinkled with gray hairs.

"So, youngster," he said, with a Sardonic smile, while I felt his grasp
tighten on my shoulder, "the villains have been baulked of their prey,
have they? We shall see, we shall see. Now, you whelp, look yonder." As
he spoke, the pirate uttered a shrill whistle. In a second or two it was
answered, and the pirate-boat rowed round the point at the Water Garden,
and came rapidly towards us. "Now, go, make a fire on that point; and
hark'ee, youngster, if you try to run away, I'll send a quick and sure
messenger after you," and he pointed significantly at his pistols.

I obeyed in silence, and as I happened to have the burning-glass in my
pocket, a fire was speedily kindled, and a thick smoke ascended into the
air. It had scarcely appeared for two minutes when the boom of a gun
rolled over the sea, and, looking up, I saw that the schooner was making
for the island again. It now flashed across me that this was a ruse on
the part of the pirates, and that they had sent their vessel away,
knowing that it would lead us to suppose that they had left altogether.
But there was no use of regret now. I was completely in their power, so
I stood helplessly beside the pirate watching the crew of the boat as
they landed on the beach. For an instant I contemplated rushing over the
cliff into the sea, but this I saw I could not now accomplish, as some of
the men were already between me and the water.

There was a good deal of jesting at the success of their scheme, as the
crew ascended the rocks and addressed the man who had captured me by the
title of captain. They were a ferocious set of men, with shaggy beards
and scowling brows. All of them were armed with cutlasses and pistols,
and their costumes were, with trifling variations, similar to that of the
captain. As I looked from one to the other, and observed the low,
scowling brows, that never unbent, even when the men laughed, and the
mean, rascally expression that sat on each face, I felt that my life hung
by a hair.

"But where are the other cubs?" cried one of the men, with an oath that
made me shudder. "I'll swear to it there were three, at least, if not
more."

"You hear what he says, whelp; where are the other dogs?" said the
captain.

"If you mean my companions," said I,