at she met with some other fate."

"Alack! and that may be a disastrous one," I exclaimed. "Too probably
we shall never again hear of the dear ones."

"Not if we don't search for them," answered Lancelot, "but I have an
idea. What do you say to obtaining leave from the admiral to fit out
one of the vessels we have just taken, and to go and look for them? We
may learn where the _Hector_ has been, and by that means trace them. I
cannot bring myself to believe that they are lost."

I fully entered into Lancelot's plan, which we speedily matured. He at
once went to Robert Blake, who, approving of our proposal, undertook to
speak to his uncle.

Before long the admiral sent for us. "I can ill spare any trustworthy
officers, but your cause is a sacred one, and you shall have the best
vessel you can find, with such men among the prisoners as will
volunteer, and whom you deem fitted for the service. I will undertake
to pay their wages and all other expenses, and you may gain such
information of what is going on in the Mediterranean as may be of use to
our country."

We heartily thanked the admiral, and taking our leave, hastened to carry
out our intentions.

We soon, with Lieutenant Blake's assistance, fixed on a vessel,
appropriately called the _Good Hope_. She was in seaworthy condition,
with stores of all sorts on board, and carried twenty guns. Her
complement of men we had no difficulty in obtaining, as the corsairs who
had just been captured were glad to obtain good pay and to escape having
to serve on board the Parliamentary ships.

Lancelot was appointed captain, I went as his first lieutenant, and
Dick, who got leave from the admiral, as his second, while Martin
Shobbrok went as gunner, and Ned Watkins volunteered to act as
boatswain.

Getting such further stores, provisions, arms, and ammunition on board
as we required for a long cruise, we bade our friends "Good-bye," and
making sail stood away from the Scilly Islands, which we soon ran out of
sight.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

CLOSE QUARTERS.

The _Good Hope_ had got well to the southward. Hitherto things had gone
on smoothly, though we found our crew less inclined to submit to
discipline than we desired. Neither did Martin and Watkins pull very
amicably together.

At first we thought that the old gunner was inclined to demand more
respect from the boatswain than the latter was inclined to pay, but one
night, while I was keeping watch on deck, Mar