rough usage his vessel had received at the hands of
the bold pirate. "I don't know that. No doubt Gascoyne's mate was
against him; but the greater part of the crew were evidently in his
favor, else why the secret manner in which he was deprived of his
command? No, no. Depend upon it, the villain has got hold of his
schooner and will keep it. By a fortunate chance we have again met; I
will see to it that we do not part without a close acquaintance. Yet why
he should throw himself into my very arms in this way, puzzles me. Ha! I
see his big gun amidships. It is uncovered. No doubt he counts on his
superior sailing powers, and means to give us a shot and show us his
heels. Well, we shall see."

"There goes his flag," observed the second lieutenant.

"What! eh! It's the Union Jack!" exclaimed Mulroy.

"I doubt not that your own captain commands the schooner," said Henry,
who had, of course, long before this time, made the first lieutenant of
the Talisman acquainted with Montague's capture by the pirate, along
with Alice and her companions. "You naturally mistrust Gascoyne; but I
have reason to believe that, on this occasion at least, he is a true
man."

Mulroy returned no answer; for the two vessels were now almost near
enough to enable those on board to distinguish faces with the telescope.
A very few minutes sufficed to remove all doubts; and a quarter of an
hour later, Montague stood on his own quarter-deck, receiving the
congratulations of his officers, while Henry Stuart was seized upon and
surrounded by his friends Corrie, Alice, Poopy, the missionary, and Ole
Thorwald.

In the midst of a volley of excited conversation, Henry suddenly
exclaimed, "But what of Gascoyne? Where is the pirate captain?"

"Why, we've forgotten him" exclaimed Thorwald, whose pipe was doing duty
like a factory chimney. "I shouldn't wonder if he took advantage of us
just now to give us the slip!"

"No fear of that," said Mr. Mason. "Poor fellow, he has felt your loss
terribly, Henry; for we all believed that you were lost; but I am bound
to confess that none of us have shown a depth of sorrow equal to that of
Gascoyne. It seems unaccountable to me. He has not shown his face on
deck since the day he gave up all hope of rescuing you, and has eaten
nothing but a biscuit now and then, which he would suffer no one but
Corrie to take to him."

"Poor Gascoyne! I will go and relieve his mind," said Henry, turning to
quit the quarter-deck.