kiss and embrace the lost and found, we
ran to the other side to watch Jenny, and help her if we could. She is
flying now, and dashes through the water, heedless of the coming waves.
She does not intend to be taken prisoner again without a struggle. But
there is one horrid pirate outstripping all the others. "Oh, Jenny,
Jenny, run, he is gaining on you." What shall we do to help her? How
shall we bear to see her taken before our eyes? She touches the rock. "A
few more steps, Jenny, and you can seize the rope we have let down to
assist you. Oh, horrid fellow, did ever any one run so fast. Ah, it is
of no use, dear, dear Jenny; one more effort." "Mother, Mother," said
Oscar, "cannot I shoot him?" "No, dear boy," said Schillie, "you cannot
without hurting Jenny." "But let me try, do let me try. Oh dear, oh
dear, it is too late, he has hold of her." Throwing away his gun, the
boy swung down by the rope before we could prevent him. In vain Jenny
called on him not to come, he was down in a moment, and attacked the
pirate, who had both arms round Jenny, with his cutlass. She struggled,
and turning round aided his efforts by buffeting the pirate in the face
with her hands and nails. At this moment Smart appeared, emerging from
the sea, having swam round the rock. One blow from his powerful fist
settled the matter. The pirate fell down stunned upon the rocks. Oscar
gave him a parting kick, and then all three assisting each other,
scrambled up the rock in no time, where we most joyfully received them,
and where they did not arrive a minute too soon, for the whole body of
pirates were close at hand.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

And now how silly we looked, all exposed to the wondering gaze of the
pirates. I heard Schillie muttering, "What a pack of fools we have
been," while Oscar said, "Cousin, we have gone and done it now. We shall
have to fight for it, and we shall have a good rowing from the captain.
I had better go and see after the guns." This he did, shaking them one
by one at the pirates as he examined them, while he and Felix kept
appearing and disappearing from behind the trees, sometimes with hats
and sometimes without, as if to make believe there were half a dozen
boys. Smart lay his full length on the ground, endeavouring to recover
his breath, after his late exertions.

It was of no use disguising the fact, we had discovered ourselves and
our hiding place, and though no one certainly could get to us without
leave, o