mself.

The door of the cell was shut and locked as quietly as it had been
opened; then followed the sound of footsteps crossing the floor.

"Is that you, jailer?" demanded Gascoyne.

"Ye'll know that time enough," answered a gruff voice, that was not
unfamiliar to the prisoner's ear.

The others who had entered along with this man did not move from the
door,--at least, if they did so, there was no sound of footsteps. The
man who had spoken went to the window and spread a thick cloth over it.
Gascoyne could see this, because there was sufficient light outside to
make the arms of the man dimly visible as he raised them up to
accomplish his object. The cell was thus rendered, if possible, more
impenetrably dark than before.

"Now, pirate," said the man, turning round and suddenly flashing a dark
lantern full on the stern face of the prisoner, "you and I will have a
little convarse together--by yer leave or without yer leave. In case
there might be pryin' eyes about, I've closed the porthole, d'ye see."

Gascoyne listened to this familiar style of address in surprise, but did
not suffer his features to betray any emotion whatever. The lantern
which the seaman (for such he evidently was) carried in his hand threw a
strong light wherever its front was turned, but left every other part of
the cell in partial darkness. The reflected light was, however, quite
sufficient to enable the prisoner to see that his visitor was a short,
thick-set man, of great physical strength, and that three men of unusual
size and strength stood against the wall, in the deep shadow of a
recess, with their straw hats pulled very much over their eyes.

"Now, Mr. Gascoyne," began the seaman, sitting down on the edge of a
small table beside the low pallet, and raising the lantern a little,
while he gazed earnestly into the prisoner's face, "I've reason to
believe--"

"Ha! you are the boatswain of the Talisman!" exclaimed Gascoyne, as the
light reflected from his own countenance irradiated that of Dick Price,
whom, of course, he had seen while they were on board the frigate
together.

"No, Mister Pirate," said Dick; "I am _not_ the bo's'n of the Talisman,
else I shouldn't be here this night. I _wos_ the bo's'n of that
unfortunate frigate, but I is so no longer."

Dick said this in a melancholy tone, and thereafter meditated for a few
moments in silence.

"No," he resumed with a heavy sigh, "the Talisman's blow'd up, an' her
bo's'n's out on