d bared his breast to the
furious blast.

This cooled him so effectually that he took to running along shore in
order to warm himself. Then it occurred to him that the night was
particularly favourable for a sly peep at the pirates. Without a
moment's hesitation he walked and stumbled towards the high part of the
island, at which he arrived just half-an-hour before Gascoyne reached
it. He had seen nothing, however, and was on the point of advancing
still further in his explorations, when he was discovered as we have
seen.

Gascoyne instantly turned the boy over on his back, and nipped a
tremendous yell in the bud by grasping his wind-pipe.

"Why, Corrie!" exclaimed Gascoyne in surprise, at the same time
loosening his grip, though still holding the boy down.

"Ah! you villain, you rascally pirate. _I_ know you, I--"

The pipe was gently squeezed at this point, and the sentence abruptly
cut short.

"Come, boy, you must not speak so loud. Enemies are near. If you don't
behave I'll have to throttle you. I have come from Sandy Cove with a
party to save you and your friends."

Corrie did not believe a word of this. He knew, or at least he
supposed, that Gascoyne had left the schooner, not having seen him since
they sailed from Sandy Cove; but he knew nothing of the manner in which
he had been put ashore.

"It won't do, Gascoyne," gasped poor Corrie, on being permitted again to
use his wind-pipe. "You may kill me, but you'll never cow me. I don't
believe you, you cowardly monster."

"I'll have to convince you then," said Gascoyne, suddenly catching the
boy in his arms, and bearing him swiftly away from the spot.

Corrie struggled like a hero, as he was. He tried to shout, but
Gascoyne's right hand again squeezed the wind-pipe; he attempted to
bite, but the same hand easily kept the refractory head in order; he
endeavoured to kick and hit, but Gascoyne's left hand encircled him in
such a comprehensive embrace and pressed him so powerfully to his
piratical bosom that he could only wriggle. This he did without
ceasing, until Gascoyne suddenly planted him on his feet, panting and
dishevelled, before the astonished faces of Frederick Mason and Ole
Thorwald.

It is not necessary to describe in detail the surprise of all then and
there assembled, the hurried conversation, and the cry of joy with which
the missionary received the information that Alice was safe and within
five minutes' walk of the spot on wh