n my stead, and he positively refused it."

"Yes," said all the pirates; "that's true enough."

"Well, Sir," replied the first-lieutenant, "I will certainly carry your
message."

"To make all certain," replied I, "I will write my name on a slip of
paper for you to take in to the captain. He knows my signature."

I did so, and the first-lieutenant took the paper, and went into the
cabin. In a minute he returned, and requested me to follow him. I did
so, and in another minute I was in the arms of my brother. For some
time we neither of us could speak. At last Philip said, "That you are
alive and well let me thank Heaven. I have considered you as dead, and
so have others; and to find you on board of a pirate--on board of a
vessel which I have been riddling with shot, any one of which might have
caused your death! Thank God I was ignorant that you were on board, or
I never could have done my duty. I will not ask how you came on board
of this vessel, for that must be the end of your narrative, which I must
have from the time that you first left Rio, and afterwards in detail the
whole from the time that you left the Coast."

"Then they received my letters from Rio?"

"Yes, after imagining you were dead, they were rejoiced by those
letters; but I will not anticipate my story, nor will I now ask for
yours; it is sufficient at present that you are alive, my dear
Alexander, and once more in my arms."

"Let me ask one question," replied I.

"I know what it will be. She was in good health, but suffering much in
mind from having no account of you. Her father and others have reasoned
with her, and painted the impossibility of your being in existence, as
the xebeque you sailed in had never been heard of. She still adheres to
the opinion that you are alive, and will not abandon the hope of seeing
you again; but hope deferred has paled her cheek even more pale than it
usually is, and she evidently suffers much, for her life is wrapped in
yours. Now, having told you this, you must come into my state-room, and
allow me to enable you to appear as my brother ought to do. I do not
think that there is any difference in our size now although there was
when we last parted."

"Many thanks, Philip, but before I adonise my outward man I should wish
to satisfy my inward cravings; and, to tell you the truth, I'm so hungry
from not having broken my fast for nearly twenty-four hours, that if you
could order something to eat whil