! and don't they let a body hold on?"

"And then when you get to the end of it, why, John, it naturally
follers that it tips up, and lets you into the sea."

"And don't they help you out?"

"No, no, John! I aint joking now, by my honor; that's the end of a
man, and that's where we shall go to if they get hold of us."

"O, dear me! what did I come to sea for? Well, but s'posin you wont go
out on the plank, wouldn't it do just to tell 'em you'd rather not,
perlitely, you know--perliteness goes a great way."

"They just blow your brains out with a pistol, that's all."

"O, lud!"

"Yes, John, that's the way they use folks."

"The bloody villains! and have we all got to walk the plank? Oh! dear
Miss Julia, and all?"

"No, no, John, not her; poor girl, it would be better if she had"--and
the kind-hearted tar brushed away a tear with his tawny hand.

"What! don't they kill the women, then?"

"No, no, John, they lets them live."

A sudden light shone in the eyes of John; it was the first happy
expression that had flitted across his countenance since the strange
sail had been discovered, and the fearful word, pirate, had fallen
upon his ears.

"I have it--I have it!"

"What, John?"

But John danced off, leaving the sailor to wonder at the sudden
metamorphosis in the feelings of the cockney.

"Well, that's a queer son of a lubber; I wonder what he's after now."

John, in the meantime, approached Julia, and in a very mysterious
manner desired a few moments private conversation with her.

"Why, John, what can you want?" She had been no woman, if, however,
her curiosity to learn the motive of so strange a request from her
servant had not induced her to listen to him.

"Miss Julia," commenced John, "I've discovered a way in which we can
all be saved alive by these bloody pirates, after they catch us; by
all, I mean you and your father, and I, and the captain, if he's a
mind to."

"Well, what is it, John?"

"I'll tell you, Miss Julia. Dick Halyard says they only kill the
men--they makes all them walk the plank, which is--"

"I know what it is," said Julia, with a slight shudder.

"Well, they saves all the women, out o' respect for the weaker sex.
Now, Miss Julia."

"Why, John!"

"But I know it's so, 'cause Dick Halyard told me all about it; now you
see if you'll only let me take one of your dresses--I wont hurt it
none; and then your father can take another, and we'll get clear of
the bloody villains-