just overhead, and as far as I could judge, the speaker stood leaning
against the bulwarks, so that we could distinctly hear Walters say--

"Why don't you send them all adrift in one of the boats?"

"Because we are not near enough to land, my son," replied Jarette; "and
I am so anxious about my young lieutenant. It would grieve me to death
to see him hung for a pirate."

"I wish you would talk common-sense, Jarette, and not be so fond of
chaffing me. You'll make me wish some day that I had not joined you."

The Frenchman laughed derisively. "Why, my little brave," he cried,
"what a dust-filled-eyed one you think me. Do I not know that you have
been in a tremble ever since?"

"No, you don't," said Walters, sharply. "I'm sure I've done everything
I can."

"My faith, yes; we will say it is so," said Jarette, with another
sneering laugh. "It is wonderful how nervous men are who have their
necks in the noose--boys too."

At that moment we felt Hampton softly loosen his hold of the rope with
one hand, and pass it and his arm in at the window so as to get a grip
inside, for evidently he expected that the rope would be discovered and
cut. Though even then, unless Jarette were willing to save him, it
would only be prolonging his existence for a few minutes, since it would
have been impossible for us to draw so bulky a man through the circular
hole which lit and ventilated Mr Frewen's cabin.

But he was safe for the time, come what might, and we remained there
listening to the conversation overhead, gathering that there was very
little friendship existing between Walters and his new captain, who let
us know that he was in great perplexity about his prisoners, and
certainly not in the mind then to end their lives. What might happen
afterwards we could not say.

At last, after some minutes that felt like hours, they went on and down
the ladder to the lower deck.

"Phew!" panted Bob Hampton. "Oh, my lad, my lad, why didn't you whistle
a jig out of the window?"

"Why didn't I what?" I cried.

"Whistle a toon, my lad. That would ha' let 'em know you could hear 'em
talking, and they'd ha' gone. Hold me tight, please, for I'm 'bout
spent."

The man spoke so faintly that we took alarm.

"No, no, Bob," I whispered. "Don't say that. Rest for a few moments,
and then climb back on deck."

"Rest?" he said, in so pitiful a tone that I tightened my grasp all I
possibly could, and felt how absurd my advice was t