there might be
hands enough left on board the brigantine to attack us, we were to have
the guns loaded, and be prepared to defend ourselves if necessary. The
remainder of the night passed quietly away; we were thankful to find in
the morning a steady and favourable breeze still blowing, which would
enable us to run out of the harbour and pass the brigantine without
making a tack.

We had just breakfasted, when we saw three boats cross the mouth of the
harbour, and, after pulling in to the shore and waiting for some time,
continue their course, accompanied by a number of canoes, to the
oyster-beds. As soon as they were out of sight, we hove up the anchor
and made sail, as had been arranged. Getting outside, we saw the
brigantine lying directly in our course.

"With so many of her crew away, her skipper will not attempt to
interfere with us," said Harry.

We were under all plain sail, and, as there was a good breeze, we ran
quickly through the water as before, with men on the look-out forward,
and the lead kept going. We could almost have thrown a biscuit aboard
the brigantine as we passed her. Besides the captain, there were very
few men on her deck.

"Good day, Captain Myers," said Harry. "We'll report your whereabouts
at Sydney. Have you any message there?"

I need not repeat the answer the skipper gave. It was such as might
have been expected from so thorough a ruffian. The next moment,
stooping down, he lifted up a musket and presented it at us.

"If you fire so will I," I shouted; but before I could pull my trigger a
bullet whistled past my ear. Providentially no one was hit. My bullet
also flew wide of its mark; indeed, I was too much hurried to take aim.

"Don't fire again," cried Harry. "The man must be mad."

Probably no other musket was at hand, as the captain of the _Wasp_ did
not again fire. In a short time we were out of range, and we had too
much to do in attending to the navigation of the schooner to think just
then much about the matter. From the number of rocks close to which we
passed, I was thankful that we had not attempted to run out during the
dark. At length we were in the open ocean, and, with a fair breeze, we
steered to the westward.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

The breeze fell before we had entirely lost sight of the Pearl Islands,
and, indeed, from aloft I could still make out the masts of the
brigantine as she lay at anchor. It crossed my mind that Captain Myers
might eve