he knew not what, went into his cabin to finish
writing up his log for the day. He unstrapped his cutlass and laid it
upon the table, lighted his pipe at the lanthorn and was about preparing
to lay aside his coat when word was brought to him that the captain of
the trading schooner was come alongside and had some private information
to communicate to him.

Mainwaring surmised in an instant that the trader's visit related
somehow to news of Captain Scarfield, and as immediately, in the relief
of something positive to face, all of his feeling of restlessness
vanished like a shadow of mist. He gave orders that Captain Cooper
should be immediately shown into the cabin, and in a few moments
the tall, angular form of the Quaker skipper appeared in the narrow,
lanthorn-lighted space.

Mainwaring at once saw that his visitor was strangely agitated and
disturbed. He had taken off his hat, and shining beads of perspiration
had gathered and stood clustered upon his forehead. He did not reply to
Mainwaring's greeting; he did not, indeed, seem to hear it; but he came
directly forward to the table and stood leaning with one hand upon the
open log book in which the lieutenant had just been writing. Mainwaring
had reseated himself at the head of the table, and the tall figure of
the skipper stood looking down at him as from a considerable height.

"James Mainwaring," he said, "I promised thee to report if I had news of
the pirate. Is thee ready now to hear my news?"

There was something so strange in his agitation that it began to infect
Mainwaring with a feeling somewhat akin to that which appeared to
disturb his visitor. "I know not what you mean, sir!" he cried, "by
asking if I care to hear your news. At this moment I would rather have
news of that scoundrel than to have anything I know of in the world."

"Thou would? Thou would?" cried the other, with mounting agitation. "Is
thee in such haste to meet him as all that? Very well; very well, then.
Suppose I could bring thee face to face with him--what then? Hey? Hey?
Face to face with him, James Mainwaring!"

The thought instantly flashed into Mainwaring's mind that the pirate
had returned to the island; that perhaps at that moment he was somewhere
near at hand.

"I do not understand you, sir," he cried. "Do you mean to tell me that
you know where the villain is? If so, lose no time in informing me, for
every instant of delay may mean his chance of again escaping."

"No dan