ake
promises in order to secure our aid and co-operation, and unhesitatingly
break them the moment that his ends are served."

They were all busily engaged in the discussion of Lance's projects when
a hail was heard from aloft. They did not quite catch the words, but
the gruff voice of the brig's chief mate ordering the crew to make sail
caused them to surmise that a ship had just been sighted. The first
impulse of the males in the party was to rush on deck, but Captain
Staunton immediately resumed his seat again and requested the others to
do so likewise, pointing out that too eager a curiosity on their parts
respecting the movements of the brig would possibly only provoke
suspicion and resentment against them in the breasts of the pirates, and
that there would be ample opportunity later on for them to see how
matters stood. They accordingly resumed the discussion upon which they
had been engaged, but were shortly afterwards interrupted by the
appearance of Johnson's steward, who descended the hatchway-ladder
bearing a couple of boxes of cigars and a dozen sticks of excellent
tobacco "with the cap'ns compliments."

This afforded them an excellent opportunity for going on deck in a
thoroughly natural way; those who smoked accordingly cut up a quantity
of the tobacco, and, filling their pipes, adjourned to the deck in a
body for the purpose of enjoying their post-prandial smoke Johnson was
standing aft near the man at the wheel, "with one eye aloft and the
other in the binnacle." He looked fierce and excited; he took no notice
whatever of the party who had just made their appearance on deck, and
his features wore so forbidding an expression that it was at once patent
to everybody that the best plan just then would be to leave him entirely
alone.

The first thing which they noticed was that the brig had been kept away
off her former course, and was now running to leeward, with the wind on
her quarter. The canvas had been rapidly packed upon her, and she was
now slipping very fast through the water, with topgallant, topmast, and
lower studding-sails set to windward, and all the rest of her canvas,
fore and aft as well as square, tugging at her like cart-horses. This,
as it afterwards appeared, was her favourite point of sailing.

That a sail was in sight was perfectly evident, but nothing could be
seen of her from the deck, though the horizon was perfectly clear all
round; it was therefore rather difficult at fir