placid thing to be seen, for
all around her the sea seemed to shiver in little independent eddies, as
when water is broken without a current to guide it.

I continued to look, and when the deck was, or seemed, quite still--for
the shivering water round the ship kept catching my eyes through the
outer rays of the lenses--I noticed that nothing was stirring. The men
who had been at the guns were all lying down; the men in the
fighting-tops had leaned forward or backward, and their arms hung down
helplessly. Everywhere was desolation--in so far as life was concerned.
Even a little brown bear, which had been seated on the cannon which was
being put into range position, had jumped or fallen on deck, and lay
there stretched out--and still. It was evident that some terrible shock
had been given to the mighty war-vessel. Without a doubt or a thought
why I did so, I turned my eyes towards where _The Lady_ lay, port
broadside now to the inside, in the harbour mouth. I had the key now to
the mystery of Rooke's proceedings with the great grey crab.

As I looked I saw just outside the harbour a thin line of cleaving water.
This became more marked each instant, till a steel disc with glass eyes
that shone in the light of the sun rose above the water. It was about
the size of a beehive, and was shaped like one. It made a straight line
for the aft of the yacht. At the same moment, in obedience to some
command, given so quietly that I did not hear it, the men went below--all
save some few, who began to open out doors in the port side of the
wheel-house. The tackle was run out through an opened gangway on that
side, and a man stood on the great hook at the lower end, balancing
himself by hanging on the chain. In a few seconds he came up again. The
chain tightened and the great grey crab rose over the edge of the deck,
and was drawn into the wheel-house, the doors of which were closed,
shutting in a few only of the men.

I waited, quite quiet. After a space of a few minutes, Captain Rooke in
his uniform walked out of the wheel-house. He entered a small boat,
which had been in the meantime lowered for the purpose, and was rowed to
the steps on the mole. Ascending these, he came directly towards the
signal-tower. When he had ascended and stood beside me, he saluted.

"Well?" I asked.

"All well, sir," he answered. "We shan't have any more trouble with that
lot, I think. You warned that pirate--I wish he had been in tru