st, when our
friend the black cook placed it before us on deck, in a couple of large
basins, with heavy silver spoons to feed ourselves.

All day we were looking out in expectation of seeing the corvette again.
Hour after hour passed, but she did not appear.

"She will not find us again, Jerry," said I. "I wonder what the pirates
will do with us?"

"Turn us into pirates somehow or other, I am afraid," answered Jerry.
"If we don't pretend to be satisfied with our lot, perhaps they will get
tired of us and will cut our throats, or throw us overboard, just to be
rid of us."

"That cannot, perhaps, he helped," I replied. "But Jerry, I say, do not
for a moment ever think of turning pirate, even if it were to save your
life. Do right, whatever comes of it, is what Cousin Silas has often
said to us--remember."

"I was not quite serious," answered Jerry. "But still, it we did, we
should have a better chance of getting away."

"That is the very thing that we should not do," I replied. "Never do
what is wrong that good may come of it. The pirates are not likely to
ask us to join them; but if they do, all we have to say is that we would
rather not. We need not go into the heroics about it, and show a vast
amount of virtuous indignation, but just quietly and civilly refuse, and
stick to it. Don't fancy that we shall get away faster by doing what is
wrong. As I said, let us do what is right, and trust all the rest to
Providence."

"I see of course you are right, Harry. I'll try and heartily agree with
you; but just now I was considering how we might deceive the pirates by
pretending to join them, and I thought that I had got a first-rate plan
in my head. But, Harry, from what you have been saying, I now
understand that I was wrong."

We took two or three turns on deck.

"I say, Harry," exclaimed Jerry, suddenly, "I wonder what has become of
the _Dove_?" So interested had we been with what concerned ourselves
especially, that we had not till that moment thought about her.

"If she did not go to the bottom during the gale yesterday, perhaps the
corvette got hold of her," said I. "If the corvette did catch her, the
people in charge of her are very likely to get their heads into a noose,
for they will be puzzled to explain in a satisfactory way how she came
into their possession."

Captain Bruno seemed to care very little for the loss of the people in
the little schooner. He swore and grumbled somewhat under