a trace
of the fugitive could be perceived. Some of the foremost ran on to a
spot of high ground near at hand, whence they could see in every
direction, but not a figure was moving in the landscape. In the
meantime our skipper came up, and ordered us to turn back and beat about
the wood.

We had been thus fruitlessly engaged for some time, when we were
recalled to the shore by a shout from one of our people, and, hastening
down to the beach, we beheld, to our dismay, our own boat floating some
way out in the bay, while Johnson, in his skiff, was pulling towards his
lugger, now creeping alongshore out of the reach of the cutter, which
still lay becalmed in the offing. What was most extraordinary, the lad
who had been left in charge of the boat was nowhere to be seen, and, as
far as we could make out, he was neither in her nor in Johnson's skiff.
You may just picture to yourself our rage and disappointment; indeed, I
thought, what from his exertions and excitement, our commander would
have been beside himself with vexation. After we had stood for a
moment, looking with blank astonishment at each other, he ordered us, in
a sharp voice, some to run one way, some another, along the shore, in
search of a boat by which we might get on board our galley, for she was
too far off for anyone to attempt to swim to her. At last, some way on,
we discovered, hauled up on the beach, a heavy fishing-boat, which with
some work we managed to launch, and, by means of the bottom boards and a
few pieces of plank we found in her, to paddle towards our gig. In our
course, we picked up two of our oars which had been thrown overboard,
and we were thus able to reach her sooner than we could otherwise have
done. What could have become of our young shipmate? we asked each
other; but not a conjecture could be offered. Johnson could not have
carried him off; he would not have ventured to have injured him, and the
lad was not likely to have deserted his post. At last we got alongside
the gig, and on looking into her we saw Jim Bolton, our young shipmate,
stretched along the thwarts, to which he was lashed. At first we
thought he was dead; but a second glance showed us that a gag, made out
of a thole-pin and a lump of oakum, had been put into his mouth. On
being released it was some time before he could speak. He then told us
that he was sitting quietly in the boat, when suddenly a man sprang on
him with a force which knocked him over, and b