from the quarter-deck gave his orders to the crew, while
Captain Bunce busied himself with his glass and his thoughts.

Fore-and-aft sail was set and head-sheets trimmed down to port, square
sails were dropped, sheeted home, and hoisted, foreyards braced to
port, the anchor tripped and fished, and the brig paid off from the
land-breeze, and, with foreyards swung, steadied down to a course for
the entrance.

"Mr. Duncan," said the captain, "there are fully forty men on that
bark's deck, all dressed alike--all in red shirts and knitted caps--and
all dancing around like madmen. Look!" He handed the glass to the first
lieutenant, who brought it to bear.

"Strange," said the officer, after a short scrutiny; "there were only a
few showing when we spoke her outside. It looks as though they were all
drunk."

As they drew near, sounds of singing--uproarious discord--reached them,
and soon they could see with the naked eye that the men on the bark
were wrestling, dancing, and running about.

"Quarters, sir?" inquired Mr. Duncan. "Shall we bring to alongside?"

"Well--no--not yet," said the captain, hesitatingly; "it's all
right--possibly; yet it is strange. Wait a little."

They waited, and had sailed down almost abreast of the gray old craft,
noticing, as they drew near, an appreciable diminution of the uproar,
when a flag arose from the stern of the bark, a dusky flag that
straightened out directly toward them, so that it was difficult to make
out.

But they soon understood. As they reached a point squarely abreast of
the bark, five points of flame burst from her innocent gray sides, five
clouds of smoke ascended, and five round shot, coming with the thunder
of the guns, hurtled through their rigging. Then they saw the design of
the flag, a white skull and cross-bones, and noted another, a black
flag too, but pennant-shaped, and showing in rudely painted letters the
single word "Swarth," sailing up to the forepeak.

"Thunder and lightning!" roared Captain Bunce. "Quarters, Mr. Duncan,
quarters, and in with the kites. Give it to them. Put about first."

A youngster of the crew had sprung below and immediately emerged with a
drum which, without definite instruction, he hammered vigorously; but
before he had begun, men were clearing away guns and manning flying-jib
downhaul and royal clue-lines. Others sprang to stations, anticipating
all that the sharp voice of the first lieutenant could order. Around
came the brig on