isclosed all that had passed between him and Clara. He then stated how
the _Avenger_ had escaped him by deceiving the frigate, and the
agreement made with Clara to meet for the future on the beach, with his
conviction that the pirate schooner, so exactly similar in appearance to
the _Enterprise_, must have preceded him at Porto Rico, and have carried
off the object of his attachment.

Although Edward might have been severely taken to task, yet the admiral
pitied him, and therefore said nothing about his visits to Porto Rico.
When breakfast was over he ordered the signal to be made for a sloop of
war to prepare to weigh, and the _Enterprise_ to be revictualled by the
boats of the squadron.

'Now, Edward, you and the _Comus_ shall sail in company after this
rascally pirate, and I trust you will give me a good account of her, and
also of the governor's daughter. Cheer up, my boy! depend upon it they
will try for ransom before they do her any injury.'

That evening the _Enterprise_ and _Comus_ sailed on their expedition,
and having run by Porto Rico and delivered a letter to the governor,
they steered to the northward, and early the next morning made the land
of the Caicos, just as the _Avenger_ had skirted the reefs and bore up
for the narrow entrance.

'There she is!' exclaimed Edward; 'there she is, by heavens!' making the
signal for the enemy, which was immediately answered by the _Comus_.

CHAPTER XVI

THE CAICOS

The small patch of islands called the Caicos, or Cayques, is situated
about two degrees to the northward of St. Domingo, and is nearly the
southernmost of a chain which extends up to the Bahamas. Most of the
islands of this chain are uninhabited, but were formerly the resort of
piratical vessels,--the reefs and shoals with which they are all
surrounded afforded them protection from their larger pursuers, and the
passages through this dangerous navigation being known only to the
pirates who frequented them, proved an additional security. The largest
of the Caicos islands forms a curve, like an opened horse-shoe, to the
southward, with safe and protected anchorage when once in the bay on the
southern side; but, previous to arriving at the anchorage, there are
coral reefs, extending upwards of forty miles, through which it is
necessary to conduct a vessel. This passage is extremely intricate, but
was well known to Hawkhurst, who had hitherto been pilot. Cain was not
so well acquainted with it, an