they had got them, they would make a rush on deck, and throw overboard
all who wouldn't join them. Then they were to carry the schooner to the
coast of Africa, to the very place where all Captain Delano's gold is
stowed away."

How much of this story might be true, and how much imagination, I could
not tell; but it was too serious a matter to allow any risk to be run;
so I ordered him to slip below, and to beg Mr Vernon would at once join
me on deck with his pistols. He was then to make his way forward, and
to rouse up Watson, with directions to him to come to us. Bobby was so
quick in his movements, that before a minute had passed they both joined
me. They were but just in time, when some dark heads were seen rising
up above the combings of the hatchway. Before, however, they had time
to make their footing good on the deck, Mr Vernon, Watson, and I had
sprung on them, and knocked them below again with the butt-ends of our
pistols. At the same time, before they could make another attempt, the
three men forward came running aft, and we quickly got the hatches on
over them. There they and the two wretched traitors Delano had
inveigled to release them remained, like wild beasts shut up in a
cage,--much more dangerous, however, for they had the sentries' muskets,
and perhaps other arms which might have been conveyed to them. They
were, moreover, driven to desperation, and it therefore required great
caution in dealing with them. Mr Vernon had recourse to a _ruse_ to
assist in damping their spirits.

"Brig ahoy!" he sung out, "send your boat aboard here well-armed; our
prisoners have broken loose. Watson," he whispered, "go and get the
people up from forward. I suppose you can trust them."

"Ay, ay, sir, they are all true enough," he replied; "it's only one of
the merchant-brig's crew, and that poor fellow, Nolan, who was always
weak-like. They ought never to have been placed as sentries."

When all the people were mustered, we outnumbered the pirates; but,
though we had arms in our hands, so had they; and if we took the hatches
off, we could scarcely hope that they would yield without a struggle,
which would very probably prove a bloody one. Still, if we let them
remain below, they might commit some mischief--very probably set the
ship on fire, or force their way out through the bulkheads, either
forward or aft, when we were not expecting them. While this state of
things was continuing, I happened to look o