it."

He then went to the side, and said to Dominique:

"There is nothing for you to find here. We are an honest trader,
and there is nothing worth a pirate's stealing. But in order to
show you that I am speaking the truth, I have no objection to two
hands coming on board and going through her. We have nothing to
hide."

Dominique rowed back to the yacht.

"Dey will let her be searched, sar."

"I thought they would," Frank said; "and of course that is a sign
that there is no one there."

"I will go, sir," the skipper said, "as we agreed. He would give
anything to get rid of you, and you might be met with a volley when
you came alongside. And now there ain't no use in running risks. If
they have been told what you are like, they cannot mistake me for
you. You are pretty near a foot taller, and you are better than ten
years younger, and I haven't any hair on my face. I will go through
her. I am sure the lady ain't there, or they would not let me.
Still, I will make sure. There are no hiding places in a yacht
where anyone could be stowed away, and of course she is, like us,
chock full of ballast up to the floor. I shan't be many minutes
about it, sir. Dominique may as well go with me. He can stay on
deck while I go below, and may pick up something from the black
fellows there."

"You may as well take him, Hawkins; but you may be very sure that
they won't give him a chance to speak to anyone."

The captain stepped into the boat and was rowed to the yacht. He
and Dominique stepped on to the deck and were lost sight of among
the blacks. In ten minutes they appeared at the gangway again, and
stepped into their boat. Another minute and she was alongside the
Osprey.

"Of course, you found nothing, Hawkins."

"Nothing whatever, sir. Anything the lady may have left behind had
been stowed away in lockers. I looked about to see if I could sight
a bit of ribbon or some other woman's fal-lal, but they had gone
ever it carefully. Two of the other state cabins had been occupied.
There were men's clothes hanging there. Of course, I looked into
every cupboard where as much as a child could have been stowed
away, and looked round the forecastle. Anyhow, there is no woman
there now.

"Dominique had to go round with me. The captain evidently did not
want to give him a chance of speaking to anyone. The mate and two
of the sailors posted themselves at the gangway, so that the two
blacks should not be able to talk to the nigger