"Not long," he answered, "only a day or
two, really."

"And you--nor none of yer folks--never went nosin' 'round there to find
nothin', did yer? Tell me the truth, now!" Daggs leaned closer, a
murderous intensity in his face.

"No," said Jeremy, squirming as the man's fingers gripped his shoulder.

The pirate gave him another long, piercing look from his terrible eyes,
then released him and went forward, where he stood staring off toward
the shore.

In his wretched loneliness the boy sank down by the rail, his heart
heavier than it had ever been in his whole life. It might have been a
relief to him to cry. A great lump was in his throat indeed and his eyes
smarted, but he had considered himself too old for tears almost since he
could walk, and now with the realization that he was near shedding them,
he forced his shoulders back, shut his square jaw and resolved that he
would be a man, come what might. Darkness settled over the river mouth.
The form of Pharaoh Daggs in black silhouette against the gray of the
sky sent a shudder through Jeremy. He recalled with startling
distinctness the solitary man he had seen on the island the night of his
capture. The two figures were identical. Pondering, the boy fell asleep.

It was some four hours later that he woke to the sound of hurrying oars
close aboard. A subdued shout came across the water. The voice was Stede
Bonnet's. "Stand by to take us on!" he cried. A moment later the gig
shot into sight, her crew rowing like mad. They pulled in their oars,
swept up alongside the black sloop, and were caught and pulled aboard by
ready hands. "Cut the cable!" cried the Captain as soon as he reached
the deck. The gig was swung up, the cable chopped in two and the
mainsail spread, and in an incredibly short time the _Royal James_ was
bowling along down the roadstead. Hardly had she gotten under way when
two long-boats appeared astern and amid shouts and orders to surrender
from their crews, a scattered fusillade of bullets came aboard. No one
on the sloop was hit, and as the sails began to draw properly the pirate
craft soon left her pursuers far to the rear.

Jeremy, never one to watch others work, had lent a hand wherever he was
best able, during the rush of the escape. When the sloop was well out of
range and the excitement had subsided, he turned for the first time to
look at a small group that had been talking amidships. Two of the
figures were very well known to him--Bonnet a