ging such disgrace on his name."

I could understand the poor little fellow's feelings perfectly, I
thought, for had I not experienced something of the same kind myself? I
cheered him up as well as I could; telling him that whenever the time
came I felt sure he would behave perfectly well, and that with the
firing of the first shot all trace of the peculiar and unpleasant
sensations of which he spoke would pass completely away.

I was still talking with him when the skippers steward came up to us
with an invitation for both to dinner in the cabin. The subject was
accordingly dropped, and we hurried away to dress.

We were just finishing our soup when Mr Vining, the third lieutenant,
came down to say that two ships had just rounded the southernmost end of
the large island, and were working their way in among the shoals towards
a small shallow bay on the north, western side.

"What do they look like, Mr Vining?" queried the skipper.

"One is a full-rigged ship, apparently of about six hundred tons; the
other is a low, wicked-looking brigantine, sir, very loftily rigged, and
with an immense spread of canvas."

"Um!" said the skipper. "Just keep a sharp eye upon them, if you
please, Mr Vining, and see what you can make of them. I'll be on deck
shortly."

The second lieutenant withdrew, and we hurried on with the meal. By the
time that we had finished and were on deck once more, the sun had set,
and the short twilight of the tropics was upon us. The islands--mere
rocks, as Carter had said--forming the western extremity of the group
were already on our lee beam; the nearest of them being about three
miles distant, while others stretched away to leeward of them right away
to the horizon, and even beyond it. Key Grande, the largest of the
group, lay right ahead, distant about fifteen miles; while El Roque,
another island, lay broad upon our weather bow, about five miles
distant. The lookout aloft reported the two strange sail to be just
anchoring.

"We've stayed below a trifle too long, I'm afraid," said the skipper;
"we shall have darkness upon us in ten minutes. Mr Chester, kindly
slip up to the topsail-yard and see what you can make out about the
strangers, if you please."

"I'll come with you, Ralph, my boy," said Mr Flinn. "Four eyes are
better than two; and, as I see that the skipper means to give them an
overhaul, it is as well that we should learn all we can about them
beforehand."

We accordingly