my almost screamed. "That's a signal we used to have
when we were hunting. It means 'Come here!'"

He had hardly finished speaking when--"Port your helm!" roared Job. "All
hands stand by to slack the fore and main sheets!"

[Illustration: Job had bracketed his target.]

The _Tiger_ fell off the wind with a lurch and spun away to leeward,
bowing into the running seas.

Five minutes later they hauled Bob, drenched and dripping, to the deck.

CHAPTER XXXIII

The boy was pale and haggard and so weak he could hardly stand alone,
but he looked about him with an eager grin as Tom and Jeremy helped him
toward the companion.

"Why," he gasped, "here's old Job! What's he doing up here!" as the
latter strode aft to seize his hand.

"Ay, lad," laughed the big mariner, a mighty relief showing in his face,
"we're all your friends aboard here. But how came those devils to let
you off so easy? We figured we'd have to fight to get you, and mighty
lucky to do it at that!"

The schooner had come into the wind again and was heading westward in
pursuit of the pirate, now hidden in the murk ahead. Bob was helped to
the cabin and propped up in a bunk while his friends hastened to get
some dry clothes on him. A pull of brandy stopped his shivering.

"I thought none of you would ever see me alive," he said soberly. "But,
Job, before I tell you all about it, are you sure you've lost sight of
Daggs' sloop? They were worried about your shooting, and figured the
only chance they had was to set me adrift and then get away in the
dirty weather, while you were fishing me out. They'd never have given me
up if that second shot hadn't mighty near gone through and through the
old _Revenge_."

"The _Revenge_!" said Job. "I thought I knew the cut of that big
mainsail, and she was painted black, too! Well, their trick succeeded.
Just this minute we'd have no more chance of finding 'em than a needle
in a haystack. But it may clear again before night, and then we'll see!
Go ahead now and spin your yarn, my lad!"

And Bob, swigging hot tea and munching a biscuit, began once more to
tell his story.

"After we separated, and started to run, up on the hill that night," he
said, "I seemed to lose all my sense of direction for a while. I was
scared for one thing, I'll freely admit. When I saw Daggs' face in the
torchlight leaning over us, there by the treasure barrel, it frightened
me pretty nearly out of my senses. So I started to run, witho