d I am so
fond of fish, really it is too bad. I am just beginning to think the
island a very nice sort of little place, and here we are sent to the
right about in this horrid fashion."

_Gatty._--"Cannot we somehow contrive to kill all the pirates, and get
rid of them altogether."

_Sybil._--"Yes, we could shoot them from here, taking good aim."

_Gatty._--"Ha! ha! just listen to Sybil. Could any one ever have thought
she would have been so bloody-minded."

_Serena._--"I wish Zoe and Jenny were safely with us, then we should be
quite happy, having only the captain and Smart to wait for."

_Sybil._--"I dare say that is the reason Smart left us in such a hurry."

_Gatty._--"I hope it is as you say, old Syb, and I hope still more that
they will join us soon, and I hope most of all that they will leave
Hargrave behind."

_Sybil._--"Poor thing, but what will they do with her?"

_Gatty._--"Eat her, I dare say, and very tough----"

_Lilly._--"Oh, Mother, look there! Oh, look! look! Here is Zoe coming,
and Smart, and Jenny."

Up we all jumped, and saw the three stealing round the rocks, not two
hundred yards from the shore. Run, we all shouted, waving everything we
could lay our hands on. They saw us in a moment, and quitting the
shelter of the rocks, ran down towards us.

At this moment a noise of yelling and screaming was heard, and the whole
body of pirates, men, women, and children, came rushing out from
underneath the waterfall.

Smart heard them first, and catching up Zoe in his arms, giving Jenny
some directions, he plunged into the sea, while Jenny kept running to
that point of the rock where was the only accessible point for
scrambling up. The tide was half flow, which favoured Smart but would
impede Jenny, unless she dashed through the waves without regarding a
wetting. By the care that Smart took of his little charge, and by
Jenny's deliberate proceedings, we saw the servants both meant to
sacrifice themselves for the sake of the child.

We, on our parts, were bewildered for a moment with the coming strife,
but the thoughtful boys, rolling stones down to startle away the sharks
before their dear Smart's way, recalled us to our senses. We let down
the rope ladder, and the ready Smart swam to it. Placing his precious
charge on it, he watched her run nimbly up it and we receive her with
rapture in safety, when he wiped his streaming brow, and plunged into
the sea again.

Leaving the little ones all to