;
instead of sashes they wore leather belts.

"Kerchoo!" rang out a sneeze as sharp as a pistol-shot, from the party
by the wall.

"Dear me," said the Sly Old Codger, out loud, "I do believe I'm catching
cold."

At the sudden discharge of the sneeze, the seven men jumped as if they
had in fact been shot. Each one snatched out his cutlass with his right
hand and his pistol with his left, and faced in the direction of the
sneeze.

"Confound your cold," whispered Toby fiercely to the Sly Old Codger,
"now we're done for."

The seven men with their cutlasses and pistols, with the ear-ringed man
in the lead, tiptoed stealthily in the direction of the sneeze.

As they came closer to the party who were crouched against the wall,
Aunt Amanda slipped down quietly to the ground at Toby's feet. The
captain of the expedition had fainted.

CHAPTER XVI

CAPTAIN LINGO AND A FINE PIECE OF HEAD-WORK

The man with the ear-rings muttered something in a fierce undertone to
his six followers. They spread out behind him in a wide line. With a
stealthy step they came forward noiselessly. The party by the wall held
their breath in terror. Nearer and nearer came the seven men, still in
perfect silence. They reached the cowering company by the wall, leveled
their pistols at their breasts, held up their cutlasses ready to strike,
and looked at their leader for the command to kill.

At this moment the man with the ear-rings observed the form of Aunt
Amanda on the ground. He stooped down and examined her, and stood up
again. Then he eyed the company of travellers with a hard cold eye, and
spoke deliberately and in a low voice. His manner of speech was somewhat
stilted and precise, and scarcely what might have been expected of a
pirate.

"The ceremony," said he, "will be deferred for the moment. I commend you
meanwhile to perfect quietness; one movement, and the consequences may
be fatal. A hint is sufficient. I perceive here a lady in distress. 'Tis
a monstrous pity, indeed. I regret that we were unaware of the presence
of a lady; had we known, we should certainly have taken our measures
more fittingly. I crave your pardon. No one has yet accused Captain
Lingo of rudeness to a lady. Ketch, put up thy cutlass and go
straightway to the pool and wet this pocket-handkerchief. Be brisk, thou
muddle-pated son of a sea-cook! Haste!"

The man called Ketch jumped as though he had been stung, and took from
Captain Lingo's hand a fine