and want a lad of spirit and education
to be my companion," he replied. "The old hands I cannot trust--they
are as likely to turn against me as to serve me--while you, I know, will
be faithful for awhile, till you get hardened like the rest, and then--"

"And then," interrupting him, I said, "what would you do with me? Give
me as food for the sharks, I suppose?"

"No, lad; I should let you live to fight your own way in the world, with
a charge to keep out of my path," he replied. "But that is not what I
wanted to talk to you about. You must come on deck and join in
capturing the vessel we are in chase of, for we think she is likely to
prove a prize of value."

I am sorry to say that so heartily tired was I of remaining shut up in
the cabin, that I was glad of being allowed, on any terms, to see what
was going forward on deck.

On this, I suspect, the pirate had calculated. He well knew the force
of the French proverb, "It is but the first step to crime which is
difficult." He wished me to take that first step, being assured that I
should then be his.

I thought when I went on deck that nothing would tempt me to take any
part in the acts of the pirates, even as far as in assisting to navigate
the vessel; but there is something so exciting in the chase of a vessel,
that it is difficult not to wish to come up with her. At first I stood
merely looking on; but the breeze freshened and rather headed us, and
Hawk issued an order to flatten in the fore-and-aft sails, and to brace
up the yards. I flew instinctively to the sheets, and found myself
pulling and hauling with the rest.

The captain made no remark, nor did he appear even to notice what I had
done. The wind was about south, and the chase was to the eastward of
us, standing on a bowline she was a brig of some size, and at the first
glance I thought she was a man-of-war; but Hawk pronounced her to be a
Spaniard, and homeward bound from Cuba. On hearing this, of course I
knew that we must be somewhere to the eastward of that place, and this
was the first intimation I had had of our whereabouts.

The chase had not observed us, or if he had, seemed not to be at all
suspicious of our character; for he was standing on under easy sail, as
if in no way in a hurry to escape from us.

Hawk, who was usually so calm and almost apathetic, walked the deck full
of energy and excitement. Every order he gave was uttered in a sharp,
quick tone, which demanded instant