was excellent--very much better than I had expected; for a dreadful
idea had suggested itself to me, that Mendouca might take it into his
head to remain by the ship until she should show unmistakable signs of
sinking, in which case there would be nothing for us but another fight,
which, short-handed as we were, would not suit our book at all.

The men on board the _Francesca_, woke up a little at Jose's order, and
soon had the last boat unloaded and the decks clear; the slaves were
then ordered on deck, the _Bangalore's_ boats cast adrift, the sweeps
rigged out, and, with I think the most fervent emotion of gratitude and
delight that I had ever experienced, I at length had the satisfaction of
seeing the brigantine stir sluggishly against the background of the
star-spangled heavens, turn her bows slightly away from us, and finally
glide off, with a quiet, gentle, scarcely-perceptible motion, in a
westerly direction.

While I was still watching her I caught sight of Maxwell creeping along
the deck from forward, under the shelter of the bulwarks, so that the
light from the still burning lanterns that the pirates had left behind
them might not disclose his moving figure to any of the eyes on board
the _Francesca_ that might be turned upon the ship; and making my way
down the companion, I joined him in the vestibule, and we entered the
cabin together.

I led him straight to the door of the state-room with the occupant of
which I had previously held a short conversation, and directed Maxwell
to open it, at the same time knocking upon the panel and saying--

"Sir, I am happy to inform you that the pirates have at length left us,
and we are about to make an attempt to release you."

"Thank God for that!" fervently ejaculated a voice that I had not heard
before. "Be as quick as you can, pray, for I fear that my poor husband
here is dead or dying; and he should be attended to without a moment's
delay."

"That's Mrs Maynard's voice!" exclaimed the carpenter, as he worked
away with his wire; "I know it well. Somebody told me that the colonel
was hurt--stabbed, I think they said, in protectin' his daughters from
the ill-usage of some of them Spanish ruffians."

"Say you so, man?" I exclaimed. "Then never mind fiddling with that
wire any longer. Let us put our shoulders to the door and burst it
open!"

"Half a second, sir; I've got the thing now, and--there, that's all
right! Now try the door, sir!"

As the man spok