returned Bob. "Let the little dearie turn in and
get her night's rest ondisturbed by any anxiety on your account. We can
slip off quietly at the right time, without her bein' a bit the wiser;
and it'll be soon enough to talk about this here job when we've done
it."

We were by this time close alongside, and no more was said. Everything
was got out of the canoe and stowed in its proper place, and we then
went to tea, getting the remainder of the goods on board and stowing
them away immediately that the meal was over; after which Bob stretched
himself out on the lockers below, and went to sleep, whilst Ella and I
remained on deck until about ten o'clock. I was glad when the dear girl
wished me good-night and left me; for I could not but feel that,
praiseworthy and righteous as was our proposed adventure, it was one
which most seriously involved her safety and well-being, closely knit
with ours as her fortunes were, and I could not conceal from myself,
either, that we were about to run a tremendous risk, ignorant as we were
of what the camp arrangements of the pirates were; and I wished to have
time to reflect calmly upon all the risks we ran, and the best possible
means of avoiding them, before setting out. Everything would depend
upon whether a watch were set on board the brig or not. Bob was
strongly of opinion that they left her to take care of herself at night,
but I thought otherwise.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

DESTRUCTION OF THE "ALBATROSS."

I remained on deck until midnight, in anxious self-communion; and then,
slipping off my light canvas shoes, went below and quietly aroused Bob.
He instantly arose, and accompanied me, noiselessly and bare-footed, to
the deck. We had no tools or implements of any kind to hamper us, my
sole provision for the expedition consisting of a couple of boxes of
matches, which, with our sharp knives and a bottle of grog, I considered
was all that we needed.

I confess that my heart throbbed a little more rapidly than usual as our
paddles dipped in the water, and the light canoe shot away from the
cutter's side, but it was from a feeling that I was at that moment
leaving, perhaps for ever, and to a terrible fate, one whom I loved more
dearly than my own life, and that, too, without one word of farewell;
rather than from personal apprehension I left a hastily-scrawled note in
pencil on the cabin-table, to the effect that we had occasion to go away
for a short time, but hoped to be