ar as he had news of their lost friends to give her. She
welcomed him therefore with a kiss and a glad smile, and then hurried
him into the house to inquire about the result of the voyage.

"I have already heard of your success in finding Alice and our friends.
Come, tell me more."

"Have you heard how nearly I was lost, mother?"

"Lost!" exclaimed the widow, in surprise; "no, I have heard nothing of
that."

Henry rapidly narrated his escape from the wreck of the Wasp, and then,
looking earnestly in his mother's anxious face he said, slowly: "But you
do not ask for Gascoyne, mother. Do you know that he is now in the
jail?"

The widow looked perplexed. "I know it," said she, "I was just going to
see him when you came in."

"Ah, mother," said Henry, reproachfully, "why did you not tell me sooner
about Gascoyne?"

He was interrupted here by Corrie and Alice rushing into the room, the
latter of whom threw herself into the widow's arms and burst into tears,
while Master Corrie indulged in some eccentric bounds and cheers by way
of relieving his feelings. For some time Henry allowed them to talk
eagerly to each other; then he told Corrie and Alice that he had
something of importance to say to his mother, and led her into an
adjoining room.

Corrie had overheard the words spoken by Henry just as he entered, and
great was his curiosity to know what was the mystery connected with the
pirate captain. This curiosity was intensified when he heard a
half-suppressed shriek in the room where mother and son were closeted.
For one moment he was tempted to place his ear to the keyhole! But a
blush covered his fat cheeks at the very thought of acting such a
disgraceful part. Like a wise fellow, he did not give the tempter a
second opportunity, but, seizing the hand of his companion, said:

"Come along, Alice; we'll go seek for Bumpus."

Half an hour afterwards the widow stood at the jail door. The jailer was
an intimate friend, and considerately retired during the interview.

"O Gascoyne! has it come to this?" She sat down beside the pirate, and
grasped one of his manacled hands in both of hers.

"Even so, Mary; my hour has come. I do not complain of my doom. I have
brought it on myself."

"But why not try to escape?" said Mrs. Stuart, earnestly. "There are
some here who could aid you in the matter."

Here the widow attempted to reason with Gascoyne, as her son had done
before, but with similar want of success. Gascoyne