Charley said that the gentlemen had been kind, and had given him all
sorts of things to eat, and some strong stuff to drink, which made him
sleep most of the time.

Dick carried Charley to the only shady spot he could find unoccupied,
and sat down with him on his knees. Charley prattled away merrily, but
he soon stopped and complained of a headache, and of the strong stuff
the officers had given him to drink. This made Dick suspect that they
had been amusing themselves by trying to make the child tipsy.

"It was a shame in them," exclaimed Dick, indignantly. "You must stay
by me, Charley. I can't trust you out of my sight."

Dick after this kept Charley by his side, and at night made him sleep in
his hammock.

Several days passed by, and the ship lay without movement on the smooth
ocean. A breeze at length springing up, the crew were all life and
activity, with a look-out at each mast-head. Towards noon a sail was
espied, and all sail was made in chase. She was a brig under English
colours. On the stranger being come up with, a gun was fired across her
bows; and as she did not heave-to, a shot was sent crashing into her
hull. She then hauled down her colours. The boats were manned and
shoved off to her. They quickly returned, laden almost to the water's
edge. The ship stood on again nearer to her, when the boats towed her
alongside. Her cargo, consisting of bales of merchandise, was
transferred to the ship.

"I thought so," said Dick, when he saw the proceedings. "She is no
better than she should be, and if it had not been for this little chap,
I would rather have remained on the raft than have come aboard her. I
wonder what they will do with the crew."

That matter was soon, to Dick's horror, settled. One after the other he
saw the poor fellows compelled to walk to the end of a long plank, when
the inner end was lifted up and they were sent overboard. The brig was
set on fire, and the pirate, letting down the sheets, proceeded on her
course.

Some days after this, when Dick came on deck, he saw at a short distance
a small island with a few cocoa-nut trees growing on it. Several of the
officers who were on deck were consulting together, every now and then
casting a look at him and Charley. At last one of them called him up
and made him understand that they were well-disposed towards him, and
that as they understood he had been the means of saving the life of the
little child, they wished to