as this in a craft of that size--why she
ain't more than about a hundred and twenty tons at the very outside.
No; she's a rover, that's what _she_ is; a craft with a low beamy hull
painted all black, tremendous long spars, and canvas with just no end of
a h'ist to it."

"Give me the glass," said George; "I'll go as far as the cross-trees and
take a look at her myself."

The second mate handed over the telescope, and the skipper, proceeding
aloft, soon saw quite enough to satisfy him that Ritson's conjectures as
to the character and intentions of the schooner were only too likely to
prove correct.

Descending once more to the deck, he held a hurried consultation with
his two officers, the result of which was a determination to fight to
the last gasp, if the crew were only willing to stand by them. It would
be necessary to ascertain their feeling upon the subject before anything
could be done; so, it being then within a quarter of an hour of noon,
George and the chief mate went below for their quadrants, took the sun's
meridian altitude, and, on the bell being struck to denote the hour of
noon and the termination of the morning watch, Captain Leicester gave
the word for all hands to muster aft.

"My lads," said George, when the men were all standing before him in
obedience to his summons, "I have called you here in order that I may
communicate to you a very disagreeable piece of intelligence. Briefly,
it is this. The strange schooner yonder is a very suspicious-looking
craft; Mr Ritson and I, who have both carefully examined her through
the glass, are quite of the same opinion about her, namely, that she is
_a pirate_. She has all the look of one; and her conduct tends greatly
to confirm us in our suspicions, for she has rigged out half a dozen
sweeps and is sweeping as straight down for us as she can come. Now,
lads, I want to know what you propose to do in the event of our
suspicions proving correct. Will you allow her to come alongside and
throw her bloodthirsty crew in on our deck to cut our throats as if we
were so many sheep! Or will you fight for your lives, and take your
chance of being able to beat her off?"

There was a few minutes of anxious consultation among the men; and then
Ned stepped forward as spokesman of the party, and asked--

"What would you advise us to do, sir? What do you think of doin'
yourself, sir, if we may make so bold as to axe?"

"Mr Bowen, Mr Ritson, and I have resolved to