ssed, we could have no doubt
that the schooner we saw before us was a pirate, and that her crew had,
after murdering those on board the brig, sunk her, to destroy, as they
might hope, all traces of their guilt. They had had in us, however,
witnesses of the atrocity they had committed, when they thought no human
being could be cognisant of the fact. What, however, had become of Mr
Brand, and Ben, and the native? Had they been on board, we should
probably have acted wisely in endeavouring to get away from the pirates,
as they would undoubtedly, if they could catch us, and thought that we
suspected what had occurred, treat us much in the same way that they had
treated the crew of the brig. Still, how could we think for a moment of
running away and deserting our friends--such a man, too, as Cousin
Silas, who, we felt sure, would never have deserted us while the
slightest hope remained of our being alive?

For some time after the brig had sunk, the schooner appeared to take no
notice whatever of us, while we continued to draw nearer and nearer to
her. We had an Englishman, Mr Stone, who acted as master of the
_Dove_, and two other natives. Stone was a simple-minded, honest man.
His principle was, if he received an order from a superior, to obey it.
Therefore, as Mr Brand had directed him to continue beating up to
windward till he returned on board, it never occurred to him to propose
running away from our suspiciously dangerous neighbour. The natives
held their tongues, but did not look happy. Mr McRitchie was the most
agitated. He kept walking our little deck with hurried steps. We were
drawing nearer and nearer to the big schooner. Suddenly he stopped and
looked at us, the tears starting into his eyes. "My dear lads," said
he, "it is very, very sad to think of, but there can be no doubt, I
greatly fear, that our friend and his followers have been murdered by
yonder piratical villains. If they are still alive, (and what chance is
there of it?) they will certainly not be allowed to return to us. We
are, therefore, only sacrificing our own lives by allowing ourselves to
fall into the power of the villains. While there is time, let us
escape. Captain Stone, don't you agree with me?"

"Well, sir, I cannot but say I do," answered the captain. "If you order
me, as I consider that the craft is under your charge, we'll keep away
at once, and make all sail to the northward. I feel that we ought to
have done it as