en taken prisoners had it not been for that
"squawking" Hargrave. Upon which Gatty and the boys declared they wished
her no worse fate than to be married to one of the pirates.

_Schillie_ (with gravity).--"I will make over to her my interest with
the King."

_Gatty._--"We might actually have been on board sailing away at this
moment instead of frying up here, with these frightful pirates blinking
and grinning at us, as if they never saw Christians before."

_Sybil._--"Perhaps they never did, Gatty."

_Serena._--"Jenny, did you know that we were discovered in the caverns
through Hargrave? They made her a trap to catch us."

_Jenny._--"Miss Zoe told me, Miss, she was afraid from what she could
make out that they were going to make something out of Mrs. Hargrave.
But I could not understand them at all. Nevertheless we both cautioned
her as much as possible, though she was in such a sad way I doubt if she
heard us. After awhile she was taken away from us, and, though I told
her the last thing to be sure to be careful, and do her duty by her
mistress, she screamed so I don't think she minded me one bit. The women
were pretty civil, but very wild and bad looking, and I would not bear
them to touch Miss Zoe, which they were trying to do all the while. And,
oh, Miss Zoe was so brave, and, whenever I said you were all dead she
said so too."

_Gatty._--"How could you tell such fibs, Zoe? Madame will give you that
odious Theresa Tidy's Nineteen Maxims of Neatness and Order, to do into
German, for being so naughty."

"Angel child, never, never could I punish her after her agonizing
sufferings," murmured the good kind Madame.

The strict watch kept over us began to be so wearisome we were glad when
night veiled us in her dark mantle.

It was astonishing with what composure we laid down to rest, secure in
the sharks' guard for some few hours yet, while the morrow, with all its
probable horrors, seemed not to present itself to any mind. "We trusted
in God that he would deliver us."

CHAPTER XXXIX.

The morning's light brought us no change either for worse or better,
excepting that under cover of the night Smart had gone to search for our
other companions. He gave us orders what to do, in case of an attack,
and departed with these comforting words "Let a score on 'em attack ye,
and I'll be bound the young gentlemen, if they be but steady, can keep
'em off. Any ways Mrs. E. can, and if we hear shots cap'in and I wi