ne's head dropped on his chest, and for some moments he stood
speechless, while his strong hands played nervously with the tiller that
they had held so long and so firmly. At last he looked up and said, in a
low voice: "I resign the schooner into your hands, Mr. Montague."

Then he went slowly below, and shut himself up in his cabin.

Montague at once put down the helm, and, pointing the schooner's prow
northward, steered for the harbor of Sandy Cove.

CHAPTER XXV.

SURLY DICK THE RESCUE.

We must turn aside here for a short time to follow the fortunes of the
Talisman.

When that vessel went in chase of the Foam, after her daring passage
across the reefs, she managed to keep her in view until the island was
out of sight astern. Then the increasing darkness caused by the squall
hid the two vessels from each other, and before the storm passed away
the superior sailing qualities of the Foam carried her far beyond the
reach of the cruiser.

But Mr. Mulroy was not a man to be easily baffled. He resolved to
continue the chase, and, supposing that his commander must have got
safely to the shore, he made up his mind to proceed southward for a
short time, thinking it probable that the pirate would run for the
shelter of those remote islands which he knew were seldom visited by the
merchant ships. The importance of keeping the chase in view as long as
possible, and following it up without delay, he felt would be accepted
as a sufficient excuse by Montague for not putting back to take him on
board.

The squalls which happened to prevail at that time drove the Talisman
further south than her first lieutenant had intended to go, and she
failed to fall in with the pirate schooner. Mulroy cruised far and wide
for fully a week; then he gave up the chase as hopeless. Two days after
the breaking of the storm that wrecked the Wasp the Talisman's prow was
turned northward towards Sandy Cove.

It was the close of a calm, beautiful evening when this was done. A
gentle breeze fanned the topsails, although it failed to ruffle the sea.

"I don't like to be baffled in this way," said Mulroy to his second
lieutenant, as they paced the quarter-deck together.

"It is very unfortunate," returned the other. "Would it not be well to
examine the man called Surly Dick before leaving these waters? You know
he let out that there is some island hereabout at which the pirates are
wont to rendezvous. Perhaps by threats, if not by persuas