leaving us here?" observed one of them to the old pirate Tom
Roguish.

"No fear of that, mate," answered old Tom, shaking his head. "They know
our value too well to do that. I've watched what has been going on for
some time, and it's my belief Silva's party will find that they have
made a mistake. The captain has been too wide awake to be taken by
surprise, depend on that."

"Hillo! what are they about now?" exclaimed another of the men. The
schooner, which had stood still closer in towards the shore, had lowered
another boat, at the same time firing a gun as a signal to recall the
one which had brought us. We all ran down as fast as we could to the
spot nearest to her, and we could see that several persons were being
lowered into the boat.

"Well, good-bye, mates; a pleasant residence to you," exclaimed old Tom,
insisting on shaking hands with us; and then he and his companions
stepped into the boat and shoved off from the shore. We were not sorry,
however, to see their no very pleasant visages grow less and less
distinct, till they were lost in the distance. They stopped rowing as
they passed the other boat, and exchanging a few words, again pulled on.
We anxiously watched the approach of the other boat, to ascertain what
it contained. One of the chief mates was steering. Silva, also, to our
surprise, was in the boat. His head was bent down, and, from his
attitude, it appeared as if his hands were lashed behind him. But there
were two other people. We looked, and looked again. "Why," exclaimed
Jerry, in a joyful tone, "it's Mr Brand, and no other than Ben Yool!
How fortunate! Now we shall go all right." I at the same time, with no
less surprise and satisfaction, recognised my kind cousin and old Ben.
Mr McRitchie did not appear to be as surprised as we were. He all the
time, we found, had known that they were on board, but had been directed
not to mention it to us. He told us that, as far as he could make out,
Silva had been the means of saving the lives of Cousin Silas and Ben, as
he had saved ours, but that the pirates had kept them below, that they
might not discover whereabout they were landed; and, for the same
reason, had prevented them communicating with us. Silva had another
reason also for consenting to this arrangement, for he was afraid that
their appearance might excite the anger of the pirates, and that they
might perhaps throw us all overboard together. Indeed, it was owing to
a ha