in a low voice, "I won't tell you."

A loud laugh burst from the crew at this answer.

The pirate captain looked at me in surprise. Then drawing a pistol from
his belt, he cocked it and said, "Now, youngster, listen to me. I've no
time to waste here. If you don't tell me all you know, I'll blow your
brains out! Where are your comrades?"

For an instant I hesitated, not knowing what to do in this extremity.
Suddenly a thought occurred to me.

"Villain," said I, shaking my clenched fist in his face, "to blow my
brains out would make short work of me, and be soon over. Death by
drowning is as sure, and the agony prolonged, yet, I tell you to your
face, if you were to toss me over yonder cliff into the sea, I would not
tell you where my companions are, and I dare you to try me!"

The pirate captain grew white with rage as I spoke. "Say you so?" cried
he, uttering a fierce oath. "Here, lads, take him by the legs and heave
him in,--quick!"

The men, who were utterly silenced with surprise at my audacity,
advanced, and seized me, and, as they carried me towards the cliff, I
congratulated myself not a little on the success of my scheme, for I knew
that once in the water I should be safe, and could rejoin Jack and
Peterkin in the cave. But my hopes were suddenly blasted by the captain
crying out, "Hold on, lads, hold on. We'll give him a taste of the thumb-
screws before throwing him to the sharks. Away with him into the boat.
Look alive! the breeze is freshening."

The men instantly raised me shoulder high, and, hurrying down the rocks,
tossed me into the bottom of the boat, where I lay for some time stunned
with the violence of my fall.

On recovering sufficiently to raise myself on my elbow, I perceived that
we were already outside the coral reef, and close alongside the schooner,
which was of small size and clipper built. I had only time to observe
this much, when I received a severe kick on the side from one of the men,
who ordered me, in a rough voice, to jump aboard. Rising hastily I
clambered up the side. In a few minutes the boat was hoisted on deck,
the vessel's head put close to the wind, and the Coral Island dropped
slowly astern as we beat up against a head sea.

Immediately after coming aboard, the crew were too busily engaged in
working the ship and getting in the boat to attend to me, so I remained
leaning against the bulwarks close to the gangway, watching their
operations. I was surpris