er. By a strenuous effort he aroused himself,
observing, in a language which was much more like pure English than
Maltese, "We must, while we can, examine the condition of the fortress
in which we are confined; we may find it necessary to try and let
ourselves out. Except the door, there seems, however, to be no outlet;
but there is a gleam of light coming down from the further corner, and
there must be an aperture to let it through."

"I will go in, and see all about it," exclaimed the Maltese lad, also
speaking remarkably good English, and in a few minutes, his voice was
heard calling on his companions to find their way to the foot of the
steps, and to follow him into the chamber above.

In a few minutes, the whole party were assembled in the apartment I have
described as the pirate's chief store-room.

"The enemies have chosen to put us in possession of the fortress, and
have given us every means of keeping it," exclaimed the Maltese lad,
examining the arms and ammunition. "All we have to do, is to barricade
the door below, and we might hold out a long siege."

"And very little use that would be, when our object is to get away as
fast as we can," returned another. "However, we know where to find a
good supply of arms if we want them."

Meantime, their leader, and the one who had acted as interpreter, had
gone together into the story above.

"It is too true, then," exclaimed the first, after they had examined the
apartment, looking as if he could scarcely restrain his grief. "This is
evidently a lady's chamber, and furnished, too, with all the luxury and
treasure the pirate would lavish on his wife. Yet it cannot be hers. I
know her too well--gentle and affectionate as she is, she would die
rather than submit to such degradation. But what is this?" he took up a
book, which lay on the table.

It was one he had often seen in the hands of Ada Garden, and her name
was on the title-page. Charles Fleetwood, for he it was who had come to
rescue her he loved, as he discovered this fatal confirmation of his
worst fears, covered his face with his hands, and groaned. But he
quickly recovered himself.

"No, no--I will not believe it. The thought is too horrible--too
dreadful. I wrong her to entertain it for an instant. Yet, who can be
this lady the old pirate spoke of? He said she would soon be here.
Would to heaven she were come?"

The whole party had just collected together in the lower story, when
they