er cruise alone. Toward evening the
schooner ran in toward a precipitous cliff, the brig keeping close in
her wake. Ralph had no doubt that they were now close to the spot the
privateers used as their rendezvous, but he could detect no opening
into the cliff ahead, and it looked as if the schooner was leading the
way to destruction. Not until within a cable's length of the shore
could any opening be discovered by the keenest eye. Then when the
schooner was within her own length of the cliff her helm was put
about. She came round, and in a moment later disappeared. An
exclamation of surprise broke from all on board the brig, for they now
saw that instead of the cliff stretching in an unbroken line it
projected out at one point, and the precipitous headway concealed an
extremely narrow passage behind it.

A moment later the brig imitated the maneuver of the schooner and
passed in between two lofty cliffs, so close that there were but a few
yards to spare on either side of her. Fifty yards ahead the channel
made a sharp turn again, and they entered a basin of tranquil water
three or four hundred yards across. At the further end the shore
sloped gradually up, and here several large storehouses had been
erected, and ways laid down for the convenience of hauling up and
repairing the vessels.

"What do you think of that, youngster?" Jacques said exultantly. "A
grand hiding-place is it not?"

"It is indeed," Ralph replied. "Why, they might cruise outside for
weeks looking for the place and they wouldn't find it, unless a boat
happened to row along at the foot of the cliffs."

As soon as the anchor was down the crew were at once given leave to go
ashore, and ramble about to stretch their legs after their two months'
confinement on board. Ralph was proceeding to take his place in one of
the boats when the captain's eye fell upon him.

"Come below with me, young fellow," he said in French. "Jacques Clery,
I shall want you too."

"I do not think there is much need of interpreting, captain," the
sailor said, as he followed the others into the cabin. "The lad can
get on very fairly in French now, and will certainly understand the
sense of anything you may say to him."

"Look here, my lad," the captain began, "you have been fairly treated
since you came on board this brig."

"I have been very kindly treated," Ralph said. "I have nothing
whatever to complain of."

"And we saved your life did we not?"

"Yes, sir, after fir