we the strength to do so, we might
convey him up to the tower, where I suppose I shall be again shut up,
and his wounds might thus be properly dressed."

"I am afraid that you, and Marianna, and I, should never be able to
carry him all that way without hurting him," returned Jack Raby. "If I
could find our companions, we could easily do it; but I don't know what
became of them. I was dragged into a boat by myself, and knocked down,
and told to be quiet; out, as soon as we got in here, the rascals went
off to man their guns, and quite forgot me, I suppose; so, directly I
found that they were gone, I felt to see if my head was hurt, and
feeling it all right, I jumped out and set off, determined to try and
find out what had become of you and the rest. If I could not succeed, I
thought about going up to the Italian lady, and getting her to make
interest for us all. I was in a great hurry, because I did not know
when the pirates might come back; and they will, probably, shut me up
somewhere, so that I cannot get to speak to her."

"Your suggestion, Mr Raby, affords much hope that we may obtain
assistance for Captain Fleetwood," said Ada. "Oh! hurry up to the
tower, and I am certain that the Signora Nina will exert herself to the
utmost in our favour. Tell her all that happened--tell her that the
life of one very dear to me depends on her sending us aid; and she will
find some one who will come and assist to carry your captain to a place
of safety. I need scarcely advise you to take every precaution to avoid
being stopped on your way."

"Never fear me, Miss Garden," answered the midshipman, as he leaped on
shore. "If I hear any one coming near me, I'll stow myself away under
the rocks, or climb right up the cliffs over their heads. It's
fortunately so dark, that there's very little chance of my being seen,
and I'll be back again as fast as I can."

Nina Montifalcone was sitting, solitary and sad, at the window of her
tower, gazing out on the sea, and watching the scene enacting below her.
She had risen from her couch on hearing the firing and noise, and had
gone to where she now was, to learn the cause of it. The rapid
discharge of the guns from the brig and fort told her that fighting was
going on, and the British boats in full retreat explained what else had
happened. So interested was she on what was going on without, that she
did not hear the sound of the footsteps of a person who entered the
room.

"Sign