evidently
agreeing with their captain, others feeling with Israel that I had had
too many favours shown me. Then they talked too low for me to hear,
except now and then fragments of sentences about the "queer-coloured
flag on the _Flying Swan_," and "Billy Coad makin' many a man walk the
plank."

All this opened my eyes to many things which had not hitherto been plain
to me, and I listened more eagerly than ever, in order to understand
their plans concerning me; but I could make nothing out of the orders
which Cap'n Jack was giving. At last, just before they left him, one
asked a question in a low voice: "When is the _Flying Swan_ expected?"

"A couple ov months, sonny. We must humour un a bit, and git un in our
ways. We ca'ant 'ford to be fullish jist now."

Presently they all left with the exception of Israel Barnicoat, who
spoke to Cap'n Jack eagerly.

"'Tes oal very well to talk, Cap'n," he said, "but 'ee's stailin' away
Tamsin from me."

"Did you ever 'ave Tamsin to stail, sonny?" asked the Cap'n.

"Well, I 'ad a chance at wawn time, but now she's tooked on weth he.
Mind, Cap'n, ef he do git Tamsin ther'll be somebody missin'!"

"Doan't be a fool, Israel," replied Cap'n Jack. "Go away 'ome, sonny,
and be ready for yer work in the mornin'."

"But mind, Cap'n, the Squire must obey oarders saame as we, else ther'll
be mutiny."

"Well, 'ee shell, ther' now. Good-night, Israel; good-night, sonny, and
by the blessing of Providence you'll be a rich man yet."

I turned over all this many times in my mind, and, as may be imagined, I
was sore driven what to think. Up till now I had not been asked, beyond
smuggling, to do anything unlawful, but now I saw that I was intended
for wild work. Moreover, I knew not how to get out of it, for Cap'n Jack
had, in a way, got me in his power. I had heard of several who had once
belonged to his gang, and who had come to an untimely end, and this not
by means of the law, but by unknown ways. I also called to mind one of
his stories concerning one Moses Rowse, who, because he wanted to "turn
religious," was found on the beach one day with his head broken, while
another went away from home and never came back again.

All this, I say, wrought upon me strangely--so much so that I did not
sleep that night, and I formed many plans as to how I might escape,
until my brain was weary.

The next day I noticed that Cap'n Jack was eagerly looking at the sea,
as though he saw something