f may get off."

"Yes, I dare say that has something to do with it," Will agreed. "I don't
think it likely, however, that any one of them will be spared after that
affair of the _Northumberland_, and very probably that was only one of a
dozen ships destroyed in the same way.

"Now, Harman, we will put her head round and sail back."

"Sail back, sir?"

"Certainly; I think there is no doubt that that inlet is the pirates'
head-quarters, and that they are certain to have storehouses there
choke-full of plunder. Some of their associates will in that case be on
shore looking after it, and if their ship doesn't return they will divide
the most valuable portion of these stores among themselves, and set fire
to all the rest. We have done extremely well so far, but another big haul
will make matters all the pleasanter."

"But what will you do with the prize?" asked Harman.

"I will cast her off eight or ten miles from the shore; they have no
boats, and the schooner is a mere log on the water. When we see what
plunder they have collected I shall be able to decide how to act. The
cutter can hold a great deal, but if we find more than she can carry we
must load the schooner also."

"But what would you do with the pirates in that case, sir?"

"I should try to make them come off in batches, and then iron them; but if
they would not do that, I should be inclined to tow the schooner to within
half a mile of the shore, and so give all that could swim the chance of
getting away. Those of them that are unable to do so would probably manage
to get off on spars or hatchways. They have been richly punished already,
and I fancy the admiral would be much better pleased to see the schooner
come in loaded with valuable plunder than if she carried only forty
scoundrels to be handed over to the hangman."

"But if we were to let them escape we should have to take great care on
shore while we were rifling the storehouse."

"You may be sure that I should do that, Harman. The fellows could
certainly take no firearms on shore, and I should keep ten men with loaded
muskets always on guard, while those who are at work would have their
firearms handy to them."

They towed the schooner to within seven or eight miles of the shore, and
then cast her off and made for the creek from which the pirates had come
out. As they entered the inlet, which was two miles long, they could see
no signs of houses, so they sailed as far as they could and anchored