proper course to follow being
rather obvious, Ole replied with unwonted promptitude--"Put him in
irons, of course, and hang him as soon as possible."

Montague laughed. "Truly that would be a vigorous way of proceeding;
but as I have no proof of the truth of my suspicions, and as the man is
my guest at present, as well as my pilot, it behoves me to act more
cautiously."

"Not at all; by no means; you're quite wrong, captain; (which is the
natural result of being young--all young people go more or less;) it is
clearly your duty to catch a pirate anyhow you can, as fast as you can,
and kill him without delay."

Here the sanguinary Thorwald paused to draw and puff into vitality the
pipe which was beginning to die down, and Montague asked--

"But how d'you know he is the pirate?"

"Because you said so," replied his friend.

"Nay, I said that I _suspected_ him to be Durward--nothing more."

"And what more would you have?" cried Ole, whose calm spirit was ruffled
with unusual violence at the thought of the hated Durward being actually
within his reach. "For my part I conceive that you are justified in
taking him up on suspicion, trying him in a formal way (just to save
appearances) on suspicion, and hanging him at once on suspicion. Quite
time enough to inquire into the matter after the villain is comfortably
sewed up in a hammock with a thirty-pound shot at his heels, and sent to
the bottom of the sea for the sharks and crabs to devour. Suspicion is
nine points of the law in these regions, Captain Montague, and we never
allow the tenth point to interfere with the course of justice one way or
another. Hang him, or shoot him if you prefer it, at once; _that_ is
what I recommend."

Just as Thorwald concluded this amiable piece of advice, the deep strong
tones of Gascoyne's voice were heard addressing the first lieutenant.

"You had better hoist your royals and skyscrapers, Mr Mulroy; we shall
have a light air off the land presently, and it will require all your
canvas to carry the ship round the north point, so as to bring her guns
to bear on the village of the savages."

"The distance seems to me very short," replied the lieutenant, "and the
_Talisman_ sails faster than you may suppose with a light wind."

"I doubt not the sailing qualities of your good ship, though I could
name a small schooner that would beat them in light wind or storm; but
you forget that we have to land our stout ally Mr Thorwald with his