alled for. Had I nothing but my own
longboat wherewith to attack this pirate, it would be my duty to do so.
I had scarcely expected to find unmanly fears exhibited in one so
stalwart in appearance as you are. Perhaps it may relieve you to know
that I am both well manned and armed. It is not usual for a British
man-of-war to cruise in distant seas in a less suitable condition to
protect her flag. And yet, methinks, one who has spent so many years of
his life on salt water might know the difference between a frigate and a
sloop-of-war."

"Be not so hasty, young man," answered Gascoyne, gravely; "you are not
on your own quarter-deck just now. There ought to be civility between
strangers. I may, indeed, be very ignorant of the cut and rig of
British war vessels, seeing that I am but a plain trader in seas where
ships of war are not often wont to unfurl their flags, but there can be
no harm, and there was meant no offence, in warning you to be on your
guard."

A tinge of sarcasm still lingered in Captain Montague's tone as he
replied, "Well, I thank you for the caution. But to come to the point,
what know you of this pirate--this Durward, as he calls himself; though
I have no doubt he has sailed under so many aliases that he may have
forgotten his real name."

"I know him to be a villain," replied Gascoyne.

"That much I know as well as you," said Montague.

"And yet it is said he takes fits of remorse at times, and would fain
change his way of life if he could," continued Gascoyne.

"That I might guess," returned the other; "most wicked men have their
seasons of remorse. Can you tell me nothing of him more definite than
this, friend?"

"I can tell you that he is the very bane of my existence," said
Gascoyne, the angry expression again flitting for a moment across his
countenance. "He not only pursues and haunts me like my own shadow, but
he gets me into scrapes by passing his schooner for mine when he is
caught."

The young officer glanced in surprise at the speaker as he uttered these
words.

"Indeed," said he, "that is a strange confusion of ideas. So then, the
two schooners bear so strong a resemblance as to be easily mistaken for
each other?"

"They are twins. They were built at the same time, from the same
moulds, and were intended for the sandal-wood trade between these
islands and Calcutta, Manilla, and Australia. One of them, the
_Avenger_, was seized on her first voyage, by this Durward, t