Trader Outwits the Man-of-War

CHAPTER XVII.
The Escape

CHAPTER XVIII.
The Goat's Pass--An Attack, a Bloodless Victory, and a Sermon

CHAPTER XIX.
Sorrow and Sympathy--The Widow Becomes a Pleader, and her Son Engages
in Single Combat

CHAPTER XX.
Mysterious Consultations and Plans--Gascoyne Astonishes his Friends,
and makes an Unexpected Confession

CHAPTER XXI.
A Terrible Doom for an Innocent Man

CHAPTER XXII.
The Rendezvous--An Episode--Peculiar Circumstances, and other Matters

CHAPTER XXIII.
Plans Partially Carried out--The Cutter's Fate, and a Serious
Misfortune

CHAPTER XXIV.
An Unexpected Meeting--Doings on the Isle of Palms--Gascoyne's Despair

CHAPTER XXV.
Surly Dick--The Rescue

CHAPTER XXVI.
The Capture and the Fire

CHAPTER XXVII.
Pleading for Life

CHAPTER XXVIII.
A Peculiar Confidant--More Difficulties, and Various Plans to Overcome
Them

CHAPTER XXIX.
Bumpus is Perplexed--Mysterious Communings, and a Curious Leave-taking

CHAPTER XXX.
More Leave-Taking--Deep Designs--Bumpus in a New Capacity

CHAPTER XXXI.
The Ambush--The Escape--Retributive Justice--And Conclusion

GASCOYNE,

THE SANDAL-WOOD TRADER.

CHAPTER I.

THE SCHOONER.

The great Pacific is the scene of our story. On a beautiful morning,
many years ago, a little schooner might have been seen floating, light
and graceful as a seamew, on the breast of the slumbering ocean. She was
one of those low, black-hulled vessels, with raking, taper masts,
trimly-cut sails, and elegant form, which we are accustomed to associate
with the idea of a yacht or a pirate.

She might have been the former, as far as appearance went; for the sails
and deck were white as snow, and every portion of brass and copper above
her water-line shone in the hot sun with dazzling brilliancy. But
pleasure-seekers were not wont, in those days, to take such distant
flights, or to venture into such dangerous seas,--dangerous alike from
the savage character of the islanders, and the numerous coral reefs that
lie hidden a few feet below the surface of the waves.

Still less probable did it seem that the vessel in question could belong
to the lawless class of craft to which we have referred; for, although
she had what may be styled a wicked aspect, and was evidently a