, with Surley at our feet.
He put his nose between us, and looked anxiously up into our faces, as
if to learn what it all meant. We were there allowed to remain
unmolested, while the pirates went past us attending to the duty of the
ship. On seeing the guns, we wondered that the schooner had not fired
at us; but we concluded that they had coveted the _Dove_ for their own
objects, and had not wished to injure her. It was evidently from no
compassion to us that they had not knocked her to pieces. No one
interrupting us, Jerry and I began quietly to talk to each other.

"What can have become of Mr Brand, and Ben Yool, and the Kanaka?" said
I. "Is it possible that they are aboard here all this time, do you
think?"

"I am afraid not," answered Jerry, shaking his head sorrowfully. "I
think it's much more likely that a shot was hove into the dinghy if they
went alongside, and that they were sent to the bottom. My only hope is,
that they missed their way and never came near this craft. If so, they
may have been picked up by some vessel, or may find their way back to
Owhyhee."

"That last idea never occurred to me before. Oh, I hope it may be so!
I wonder what the doctor thinks?" said I.

The doctor was absent for a long time. When he came back to us, he said
that he could not give an opinion on the subject. He was very silent,
and we thought that he looked more sad and thoughtful even than at
first.

The day wore on. A black cook brought us some soup and a bowl of
farinha, which, as we were very hungry, we were glad enough to eat; and
at night, Silva told us that we three might occupy the small deck cabin
which was vacant. We were glad enough to creep in there, and to forget
our sorrows in sleep. For some time we slept as soundly as people who
have undergone a great deal of mental excitement generally sleep, though
the realities of the past mixed strangely with the visions of the night.
The most prominent was the picture of the sinking ship which we had
seen go down; but in addition I beheld the agonised countenances of the
murdered crew--some imploring mercy, others battling for life, and
others yielding hopelessly to their fate. Among them, to my greater
horror, I thought I saw Mr Brand and Ben Yool. They were bravely
struggling in the hands of the ruffians, as I am sure they would have
done. Now one was up, now the other. The pirates tried to force them
overboard, but they always again clambered up th