sponsibility of giving you a roving commission
to hunt down and destroy that pirate.

"Your greatest difficulty will of course be to find her. Fortunately
for everybody concerned, you clipped her wings so effectually that she
will be unable to do any more mischief until she has refitted; and, to
do this, she will have to go into port somewhere. Your first task,
therefore, will be to endeavour to discover the whereabouts of that
port, and I therefore advise you to spend a few days, while your
schooner is renewing her stores, overhauling spars and rigging, and so
on, in making diligent enquiry among the craft arriving in port, with
the object of ascertaining whether any of them happen to have sighted a
disabled brig, and, if so, where, and in what direction she was
steering. In the event of your securing a clue by this means, you will
at once proceed to the port toward which she would appear to be
steering, and continue your investigations there. If you should in this
way be fortunate enough to get upon her track, you will of course follow
up the clue, and act as circumstances seem to direct; but if not, you
will have to prosecute your search and enquiries until you are
successful. The service is an exceedingly difficult one to confide to
so young a man as yourself; but, young as you are, you seem to possess
the qualities necessary to ensure success; and, should you succeed, the
achievement will tell heavily in your favour.

"Now, that is all that I have to say to you at present, except that you
had better get to work forthwith. Report progress to me here from time
to time, and let me know when your schooner is again ready for sea. You
had better allow yourself a full week for enquiries here, and if at the
end of that time you have failed to learn anything, we must consider
what is the next best thing to be done. And do not forget your
examination."

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

WE SAIL IN SEARCH OF THE PIRATE.

Having received my dismissal from the admiral, I returned to the
_Francesca_, and, summoning the purser, gave him instructions to
overhaul his stores and prepare a requisition for everything necessary
to complete for a two months' cruise. Then, sending for the boatswain,
gunner, and carpenter, I in like manner instructed them to overhaul the
hull, spars, standing and running rigging, and the contents of the
magazine, and to report to me all defects or shortage of stores in their
respective departments, and