s
time they saw Jose Leirya and his crew down on the beach, preparing to
get into their boat.

"We'd better not leave this here spot until we see 'em up-anchor and get
well away," advised Jake. "For all we know they may come ashore again,
and if they was to do that a'ter we'd left our hidin'-place, 'twould be
all up with us."

The others agreed to this proposal, and watched the boat pulling away to
the ship. She soon got there, and was forthwith hoisted inboard, and
presently the watchers saw her sails fall from the yards, while up came
the anchor, the schooner canted, the sails filled, the vessel gradually
gathered way--and she was off! The three felt strongly inclined to give
a hearty cheer; but prudence prevailed, and they remained silent.
Presently, however, they got out of the hole in which they were
crouching, and made their way cautiously along the ledge, taking the
utmost care to keep always out of sight of the schooner; and by and by
they reached the beach, and over the top of the near-most rock saw the
_Black Pearl_ rapidly growing smaller in the distance. By crawling and
creeping and dodging behind anything big enough to conceal them, they
finally gained the back beach, and then, having the ridge between the
pirate vessel and themselves, they set off at a brisk pace for the hut.
When at length they reached it they found that nothing had been
disturbed, but the body of Evans had evidently been searched, and was
now lying upon the sand, instead of where they had left it, on its
improvised couch. Their first act was to unearth the cask of brandy and
take a good draught apiece, feeling that they both needed and deserved
it after what they had gone through that morning.

Then Evans received his second burial. Poor fellow! his inanimate body
had been put to a strange use; but they felt that, could he know, he
would not in the least object.

The provisions were next got up and re-stored, and then they found time
to take a look at the retreating pirate vessel. Yes, there she still
was, now very small to their view, yet hardly as far off as they had
expected her to be.

They continued to gaze for a few moments longer, and were just about to
turn away, with relief and thankfulness in their hearts, when they saw
the pirate vessel hurriedly setting some additional canvas; then
suddenly she bore up and went off on the other tack, presenting her port
side instead of her stern to the island.

"Now, what's the