, generally, to prepare the little craft in
every way for the task that lay before her. Then, there still remaining
a couple of hours of daylight, I jumped into the gig again and pulled
aboard four vessels that had arrived during the day, for the purpose of
enquiring whether any of them had sighted or fallen in with the disabled
brig. As was to be expected, I met with no success, but I was not in
the least disappointed, for I had anticipated no other result; indeed I
calculated that the ordinary slow-sailing merchantman who might
perchance fall in with the pirate could scarcely be expected to reach
Kingston until at least three or four days after the _Francesca_. Then,
availing myself of the very pressing invitation that I had received from
my new friend Mr Todd, I made my way to his house, where I spent a most
delightful evening with him and his family. Upon learning that I
expected to remain a full week in port, these good people at once
proceeded to plan for my benefit a number of pleasure jaunts to places
of interest in the neighbourhood; but I was far too profoundly impressed
with the importance of the task assigned to me, and the responsibility
that rested upon my young shoulders, to avail myself of their very great
kindness further than to spend an evening or two with them.

I divided my time pretty evenly between the schooner--personally seeing
that no detail was overlooked in preparing her for her important task--
and the various craft that arrived in the port from day to day. Keene,
eager to assist, undertook to penetrate, in mufti, the lower and more
disreputable parts of the town, and to haunt the wharves upon the chance
of picking up some small item of information relating to the mysterious
brig which might prove of service to us. But all our efforts availed us
nothing, for on the eighth day after our arrival we were no better off
than we had been at the beginning. I contrived, however, to filch the
few hours that were necessary to enable me to go up for my examination,
with the result that I passed with flying colours, so the examiners were
kind enough to say. My good friend Sir Timothy at once confirmed my
acting order and presented me with the commission which bestowed upon me
the rank of lieutenant in his Most Gracious Majesty's navy.

On the evening of the eighth day after our arrival at Port Royal I went
ashore to report to the admiral the discouraging fact that I had failed
utterly to obtain