nd patience; and his first
endeavour, therefore, was to create a favourable impression rather than
to risk suspicion by a too early attempt to acquire information. When
Johnson saw the two in conversation he at once edged his way aft with
the evident intention of ascertaining what they were talking about; but
although Lance at once noted the movement and made a mental memorandum
to the effect that the pirate skipper was clearly a man of suspicious
temperament, he gave no outward sign of having observed any such thing,
but simply continued the conversation as unrestrainedly as though
Johnson had not been there.

Lance remained on deck until dinner-time, which was 1 p.m. on board the
_Albatross_, when he rejoined his friends below.

"Well," said he, as he seated himself at the rough deal table which had
been knocked together for their accommodation, "I have spent a very
pleasant, and, I hope, a very profitable morning on deck."

"Have you?" remarked Captain Staunton, "I am glad to hear that. We were
beginning to wonder what had become of you. What have you been doing?"

"Merely ingratiating myself with the skipper and the man whose trick it
happened to be at the wheel," answered Lance. "And I flatter myself
that, for a first attempt, I have managed pretty well. I have been
obliged to blow my own trumpet a little, it is true; but by a judicious
performance upon that instrument I have succeeded in showing our friend
Johnson very clearly that it is in our power to be of the greatest
possible service to him, and I have secured an order to build a new ship
for him, and to fortify the harbour in which she is to be built."

"To build a new ship for him!" exclaimed Captain Staunton.

"To fortify his harbour!" ejaculated Rex and Brook together.

"Precisely that, gentlemen," continued Lance. "I happened accidentally
to touch upon rather a sore point with him by disparaging the speed of
the brig, which he evidently wished to persuade himself was almost
matchless; then I gently insinuated to him that he would be very
awkwardly situated if he happened to find himself in the presence of a
frigate in heavy weather; and finally I mentioned to him in a casual way
the fact that I had designed and built a yacht of my own which could
sail round his brig in any weather, and also that I happened to be by
profession a military engineer. The results of which are as I have
already stated. There is one other result, by the bye, I hav