from pirates."

"But pirates what have bin blow'd to atoms," said Slagg, "ain't likely
to turn up again, are they?"

"That's so, lad; but some of their friends might pay us a visit, you
know."

"I think not," rejoined Sam; "there is honour among thieves here, no
doubt, as elsewhere. I daresay it is well-known among the fraternity
that the island belongs to a certain set, and the rest will therefore
let it alone. What think you, Robin?"

"I'm inclined to agree with you, Sam, but perhaps Letta is the best
authority on that point. Did you ever see any other set of pirates land
here, little one, except your--your own set?"

"Only once," answered the child, "another set came, but they only stayed
one day. They looked at everything, looked at me an' Meerta an' laughed
very much. An' they ate and drank a good deal, and fought a little; but
they took nothing away, and never came back."

"I thought so," rejoined Sam; "now, all we've got to do is to hoist a
flag on the highest peak of the mountain, and when a vessel comes to
take us off, load her with as much of the booty as she can carry--and
then, hurrah for old England!"

"Hooray!" echoed Jim Slagg, "them's exactly my sentiments."

"But the booty is not ours to take," objected Robin.

"Whose is it, then?" asked Sam; "the rightful owners we don't know, and
the wrongful owners are defunct."

"I tell 'ee what it is, mates," said Johnson, "the whole o' the booty is
mine, 'cause why? it was me as blowed up the owners, so I'm entitled to
it by conquest, an' you needn't go to fightin' over it. If you behave
yourselves, I'll divide it equally among us, share an' share alike."

"It seems to me, Johnson," said Robin, "that in strict justice the booty
belongs to Letta, Meerta, and blind Bungo, as the natural heirs o' the
pirates."

"But they're not the heirs, they are part of the booty," said the
seaman, "and, as sitch, falls to be divided among us."

"If that's so," said Slagg, "then I claim Letta for my share, and you,
Johnson, can have your pick of Meerta and blind Bungo."

"Nay, Letta is mine, because I was the first to discover her," said
Robin. "Whom will you go with, Letta?"

"With you, of course," replied the child quite earnestly. "Haven't you
promised to take me back to mamma?"

"Indeed I have, little one, and if I ever get the chance, assuredly I
will," said Robin, with equal earnestness.

"I say, doctor," said Johnson to Sam, sitting down on a mo