imultaneous events.

Meanwhile the Avenger, alias the Foam, had steered direct for the shore,
into which she apparently ran, and disappeared like a phantom-ship. The
coast of this part of the island, where the events we are narrating
occurred, was peculiarly formed. There were several narrow inlets in the
high cliffs which were exceedingly deep, but barely wide enough to admit
of the passage of a large boat or a small vessel. Many of these inlets
or creeks, which in some respects resembled the narrow fiords of Norway,
though on a miniature scale, were so thickly fringed with trees, and the
luxuriant undergrowth peculiar to southern climes, that their existence
could not be detected from the sea. Indeed, even after the entrance to
any one of them was discovered, no one would have imagined it to extend
so far inland.

Two of those deep, narrow inlets, opening from opposite sides of the
cape which lay close to the islet above referred to, had approached so
close to each other at their upper extremities that they had at last
met, in consequence of the sea undermining and throwing down the cliff
that separated them. Thus the cape was in reality an island; and the two
united inlets formed a narrow strait, through which the Avenger passed
to her former anchorage by means of four pair of powerful sweeps or
oars. This secret passage was well known to the pirates; and it was with
a lurking feeling that it might some day prove of use to him, that
Gascoyne invariably anchored near it when he visited the island as a
sandal-wood trader.

During the transit, the carpenters of the schooner were not idle. The
red streak and flag and griffin's head were removed; the big gun was
covered with the long-boat, and the vessel which entered the one end of
the channel as the warlike Avenger issued from the other side as the
peaceful Foam; and, rowing to her former anchorage, dropped anchor. The
shattered jib-boom had been replaced by a spare one, and part of the
crew were stored away under the cargo, in an empty space of the hold
reserved for this special purpose, and for concealing arms. A few of
them were also landed, not far from the cliff over which poor Bumpus had
been thrown, with orders to remain concealed, and be ready to embark at
a moment's notice.

Soon after the schooner anchored, the boat which had been sent off in
search of the body of our unfortunate seaman returned, having failed to
discover the object for which it had been s