nd, green palms, and tropical plants that skirted its margin,
as well as the purple hills of the interior.

Here she swept round in a sudden, but graceful curve, until all her
canvas fluttered in the breeze, and then dropt anchor in about six
fathoms water.

CHAPTER TWO.

BUMPUS IS FIERY AND PHILOSOPHICAL--MURDEROUS DESIGNS FRUSTRATED.

The captain of the schooner, whose deep voice had so suddenly terminated
the meditations of John Bumpus, was one of those men who seem to have
been formed for the special purpose of leading and commanding their
fellows.

He was not only unusually tall and powerful--physical qualities which,
in themselves, are by no means sufficient to command respect--but, as we
have said, he possessed a deep full-toned bass voice in which there
seemed to lie a species of fascination, for its softest tones riveted
attention, and when it thundered forth commands in the fiercest storms
it inspired confidence and a feeling of security in all who heard it.
The countenance of the captain, however, was that which induced men to
accord to him a position of superiority in whatever sphere of action he
chanced to move. It was not so much a handsome as a manly and
singularly grave face, in every line of which was written inflexible
determination. His hair was short, black, and curly. A small moustache
darkened his upper lip, but the rest of his face was closely shaven, so
that his large chin and iron jaw were fully displayed. His eyes were of
that indescribable blue colour which can exhibit the intensest passion,
or the most melting tenderness.

He wore a sombre but somewhat picturesque costume--a dark-coloured
flannel shirt and trousers, which latter were gathered in close round
his lower limbs by a species of drab gaiter that appeared somewhat
incongruous with the profession of the man. The only bit of bright
colour about him was a scarlet belt round his waist, from the side of
which depended a long knife in a brown leather sheath. A pair of light
shoes and a small round cap, resembling what is styled in these days a
pork-pie, completed his costume. He was about forty years of age.

Such was the commander, or captain, or skipper, of this
suspicious-looking schooner--a man pre-eminently fitted for the
accomplishment of much good or the perpetration of great evil.

As soon as the anchor touched the ground, the captain ordered a small
boat to be lowered, and, leaping into it with two men, one of