in was tired and
his head ached with the strain of the last five days. His last hope of
escape had only resulted in his finding a forgotten mirror, and his
despair shut out any other consideration. He had not even the fire to
resent the fact that it was in Burns's possession, and concealed.

It was his, he knew, and, without further thought of it, he thrust it
into his pocket just as he heard the men outside his little prison
talking together excitedly.

"By George, she looks like a gunboat," said one. "I wonder what she
wants?"

"Yes, there's her colors. You can see the sun shinin' on her brass
guns forward."

"There, she's signalin'. I wonder what she wants?"

Code walked idly to his windows and peered out, but could not see the
vessel that the men were talking about.

"She wants us to heave to, boys," sang out Nat suddenly. "Stand by to
bring her up into the wind. Hard down with your wheel, John!"

As the schooner's head veered Code caught a glimpse of a schooner-rigged
vessel half a mile away with uniformed men on her decks and two
gleaming brass cannon forward. Then she passed out of vision.

"She's sending a cutter aboard," said one man.

CHAPTER XXIII

SURPRISES

Fifteen minutes later a small boat, rowed smartly by six sailors in
white canvas, came alongside the 'midships ladder of the _Nettie B._
At a word from the officer the six oars rose as one vertically into
the air, and the bowman staved off the cutter so that she brought up
without a scratch.

A young man in dark blue sprang out of the stern-sheets upon the
deck.

"_Nettie B._ of Freekirk Head?" he asked. "Captain Burns commanding?"

"Yes," said Nat, stepping forward, "I am Captain Burns. What do you
want?"

"I come from the gunboat _Albatross_," said the officer, "and
represent Captain Foraker. You have on board, have you not, a man
named Code Schofield, also of Freekirk Head, under arrest for the
murder of a man or men on the occasion of the sinking of his
schooner?"

Nat scowled.

"Yes," he said. "I arrested him myself in St. Pierre, Miquelon. I am
a constable in Freekirk Head."

"Just as we understood," remarked the officer blandly. "Captain
Foraker desires me to thank you for your prompt and efficient work in
this matter, though I can tell you on the side, Captain Burns, that
the old man is rather put out that he didn't get the fellow himself.
We chased up and down the Banks looking for him, but never got within
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