those mysterious flashes, seen "out of the corner
of his eye." I told myself that that story ought to have aroused my
suspicions, ought to have conveyed a distinct suggestion to my mind; and
that, if it had, we should have detected the ruse almost with the first
appearance of daylight. This, however, was not the moment for
reproaches, either of myself or others, it was the moment for action;
and I turned sharply upon the boatswain.

"Mr Pearce," I said, "on the starboard side of that ship there is
another craft, completely hidden from us by the hull and canvas of the
stranger, and cargo is being hoisted out of the one and transferred to
the other. That means that an act of piracy is being perpetrated; and
we have been commissioned for the express purpose of suppressing piracy.
It is as likely as not that the hidden craft is the identical vessel
that we have been sent out to capture, but in any case our duty is
clear; we must get up within striking distance and interfere without a
moment's loss of time. Now, the question in my mind is this: Should we
man and arm boats, and send them away; or should we rig out our sweeps
and attempt to sweep the schooner up to the scene of action? Under
ordinary circumstances I should be for dispatching the boats; but I
don't quite know what to make of the weather. There is no sign of a
breeze in any direction at the present moment, but that lowering
appearance away to the westward may mean wind; and if it does, it may
come down very strong. Should it do so, it would bother the boats, and
enable the pirates to slip away; on the other hand, the wind may not
come away for several hours yet. This is one of those occasions when
experience is valuable, and I shall be glad to have your opinion as to
which plan is the better."

Pearce, meanwhile, had been peering through the glass again; but when I
finished speaking he laid it down and turned to me.

"'Pon my word, Mr Delamere, it's very difficult to say," he answered.
"While you've been talkin' I've been lookin' at that ship away yonder,
and I believe, sir, as you're right about there bein' another craft
alongside of her, although they've so managed things that they might ha'
stayed all day as they are without our bein' any the wiser, if we hadn't
kept on watchin' 'em. Yes; it's a hact of piracy, right enough, I
haven't a doubt; and, as you says--what's the best thing to be done?"

He paused and gazed earnestly toward the increasin