ratives as his condition seemed to require.

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE CAPTURE AND THE FIRE.

Eight days after the rescue of Henry Stuart from a horrible death, as
related in the last chapter, the Talisman found herself, late in the
afternoon, within about forty hours' sail of Sandy Cove.

Mulroy had visited the Isle of Palms, and found that the pirates had
flown. The mate of the Avenger and his companions had taken advantage of
the opportunity of escape afforded them by Gascoyne, and had hastily
quitted their rendezvous, with as much of the most valuable portion of
their booty as the boat could carry. As this is their last appearance in
these pages, it may be as well to say that they were never again heard
of. Whether they perished in a storm, or gained some distant land, and
followed their former leader's advice,--to repent of their sins,--or
again took to piracy, and continued the practise of their terrible trade
under a more bloody-minded captain, we cannot tell. They disappeared as
many a band of wicked men has disappeared before, and never turned up
again. With these remarks, we dismiss them from our tale.

Surly Dick now began to entertain sanguine hopes that he would be
pardoned, and that he would yet live to enjoy the undivided booty which
he alone knew lay concealed in the Isle of Palms; for, now that he had
heard Henry's account of the landing of Gascoyne on the island, he
never doubted that the pirates would fly in haste from a spot that was
no longer unknown to others, and that they would be too much afraid of
being captured to venture to return to it.

It was, then, with a feeling of no small concern, that the pirate heard
the lookout shout on the afternoon referred to, "Sail ho!"

"Where away?"

"On the lea beam."

The course of the frigate was at once changed, and she ran down towards
the strange sail.

"A schooner, sir," observed the second lieutenant to Mr. Mulroy.

"It looks marvelously like the Foam, _alias_ the Avenger," observed the
latter. "Beat to quarters. If this rascally pirate has indeed been
thrown in our way again, we will give him a warm reception. Why, the
villain has actually altered his course, and is standing towards us."

"Don't you think it is just possible," suggested Henry Stuart, "that
Gascoyne may have captured the vessel from his mate, and now comes to
meet us as a friend?"

"I don't know that," said Mulroy, in an excited tone; for he could not
easily forget the