swift commands and the mate repeated them as swiftly to the men.
The two ships were rapidly drawing nearer, but to Robert's amazement the
festival upon the deck of the stranger did not cease. Above the creaking
of the spars the wailing strains of the violin came to him across the
waters. If they were conscious there of the presence of the schooner
they cared little about it. For the moment it occurred to Robert that it
must be the _Flying Dutchman_, or some other old phantom ship out of the
dim and legendary past.

"And now, Carlos!" exclaimed the captain in a full, triumphant voice,
"we'll wake 'em up! Break out the flag and show 'em what we are!"

A coiled piece of cloth, dark and menacing, ran up the mainmast of the
schooner, reached the top, and then burst out, streaming at full length
in the strong wind, dark as death and heavy with threat. Robert looked
up and shuddered violently. Over the schooner floated the black flag,
exultant and merciless.

The tarpaulin was lifted and the long bronze gun in the stern was
uncovered. Beside her stood the gunners, ready for action. The
boatswain's whistle blew and the dark crew stood forth, armed to the
teeth, eager for action, and spoil. Carlos, a heavy cutlass in hand,
awaited his master's orders. The captain laughed aloud.

"So you see, Peter, what we are!" he exclaimed. "And it's not too late
for you to seize a cutlass and have your share. Now, my lads, we'll
board her and take her in the good old way."

The mate shouted to the steersman, and the schooner yawed. Robert,
filled with horror, scarcely knew what he was doing; in truth, he had no
conscious will to do anything, and so he ended by doing nothing. But he
heard the fierce low words of the pirates, and he saw them leaning
forward, as if making ready to leap on the deck of the stranger and cut
down every one of her crew.

Then he looked at the other ship. The old man who had been playing the
violin suddenly dropped it and snatched up a musket from behind the coil
of rope on which he had been sitting. The dancers ceased to dance,
sprang away, and returned in an instant with muskets also. Heavy pistols
leaped from the shirts and blouses of the spectators, and up from the
inside of the ship poured a swarm of men armed to the teeth. A piece of
cloth swiftly climbed the mainmast of the stranger also, reached the
top, broke out there triumphantly, and the flag of England, over against
the black flag, blew out steady a