ed the little barque
and eagerly the mariners scanned the horizon for some signs of the
pirate.

"She's been hereabouts!" cried one stout seaman. "For several of my
mess-mates saw her sails down near the channel islands. And her flag
was surely black with th' skull an' cross-bones."

"Must have heard that we were coming, then," growled Captain Walker,
"for there's nothing in view."

In an hour's time he thought differently, for, "Sail ho!" sounded from
the forward deck, and there, far off to leeward, was the outline of a
long, blackish vessel, bearing no flag at her mizzen or stern.

Crowding on all canvas--for the breeze was light--the _Duke William_
bore away towards her. "It must be the pirate!" said all, for, also
crowding on all sail, the vessel headed up the coast, and did her
utmost to get away.

On, on, went pursuer and pursued; on, on, and the _Duke William_ began
to draw dangerously close to the fleeing vessel, which now could be
easily seen. She was a brigantine, carrying about eighteen guns, with
a high stern and graceful lines. No flags waved from her mast-heads.

Suddenly the scudding sea-warrior pointed her nose in-shore, ran
around the corner of a sandy island, and bore away into a seemingly
large lagoon upon the other side. The _Duke William_ followed, and, as
she rounded a jutting sand-spit, there before her lay a little
schooner, on the deck of which were seen several sailors, waving and
gesticulating frantically. Behind, and on the shore, was an
earth-work, from which several cannon pointed their black muzzles. On
a flag-pole in the centre, waved a Spanish flag, and, beneath it, a
black ensign upon which was the skull-and-cross-bones.

"It's the pirate stronghold!" cried several, at once. "We're in for a
tight skirmish!"

But Captain Walker only smiled.

The brigantine, which he had been following, now rounded-to, opened
her port-holes, and fired a couple of shots toward the pursuing craft.
At the same time an English flag was hoisted on the schooner, and a
fellow on her deck sang out through a speaking trumpet.

"Thank Heaven you have come! We were only captured two days ago!
Hurrah for the English flag!"

The _Duke William_ kept on after the brigantine, her mixed crew
yelling with joy, now that they were to have an action.

_Bang! Bang!_

Her two forward guns spoke, and a shot went ripping through one of the
foresails of the pirate.

This was enough for the fighting spirit of tho