ace, you must remember, so it is fortunate
you have some one to assist you in rescuing the prisoners."

"I shall be glad, indeed, to have some one with whom to place Miss
Garden, as soon as she is released; but I expect that I shall be called
on to perform that grateful duty at the head of my men, for round her
tower, probably, the greatest resistance will be made by the pirates."

"Well, then, my boy, we'll keep together--we'll keep together, and
you'll find, I hope, that an old soldier is no bad ally!" exclaimed the
colonel with animation. "And now, Mitchell," (he was standing behind
his master's chair, his head pressed against the deck above, and the tip
of his nose just appearing from under a beam, which entirely concealed
his eyes), "let me have another look at my arms. There's nothing like
having one's weapons in order on an expedition of this kind, depend upon
it, Captain Fleetwood. A good general always takes care that his army
is well supplied with munitions of war."

While he was speaking, Mitchell brought forth from his cabin his sword
and two brace of pistols, which he placed on the table. The old soldier
drew his sword from its scabbard, and regarded it with a look of the
greatest affection. He turned it round to the light, to see that no
rust had rested on it, and then pressed its point on the deck, and let
it spring up again, to assure himself that it had not lost its pliancy.

"Ah!" he said, "this and my pistols were the only things I saved from
the wreck of the _Zodiac_ and the Frenchman; for I hold that no soldier
should part with his sword till the last extremity. An old friend, too,
and served with me right through the campaigns in the Peninsula, till
the crowning fight of Waterloo. I have reason to be proud of it,
Captain Fleetwood."

"Indeed you have, sir; and I have no doubt that it will do good service
to-night," said the captain.

"I hope so; and, Mitchell, recollect the same orders as I have often
before given you--never let this sword be left behind, should my arm
lose the power of using it."

"Yes, your honour," said Mitchell, with all the gravity of a mute,
putting his hand to the beam, as he could not reach his forehead. "I'll
not forget."

The captain, followed by his guest, went on deck, and, in about half an
hour, the brig he considered was near enough in to anchor. A light
shown over the taffrail was the signal of what he was about to do, and
as he clewed up his sails,