yed me?"

Neither Jack nor Terence deigned a reply.

"Ah, speak, pirates," he exclaimed, stamping furiously on the deck; "the
yard-arm, a sharp knife, or a walk on the plank? Whichever you like. I
grant you your choice."

Still neither of the midshipmen would reply. What was the use of so
doing?

"We must kill every one of them," exclaimed the Don, speaking in
Spanish, turning to the other captain. "I have a long account to settle
with these English generally, and these lads especially. They have been
the cause of nearly all my losses. They cannot repay me, but I can take
my revenge, and that is something."

"Certainly, certainly, my friend," answered the other: "you can hang, or
drown, or shoot them, as you think fit. It is a matter of perfect
indifference to me."

These were the last words poor Jack heard as the two worthies entered
the cabin.

"We are in a bad case, Jack, I am afraid," said Adair, "though I could
not exactly make out what the fellows said."

"It was not pleasant," answered Jack, briefly. "Terence, have you ever
thought of dying?"

"Yes, I have; that is to say, I have known that I was running many a
chance of being knocked on the head or finished in some way or other,"
answered Adair, with some little hesitation.

"Then, Terence, my dear fellow, let us look at it as an awful reality,
which is about speedily to overtake us," said Jack solemnly. "These
fellows threaten to at once take our lives; depend on it, they will put
their threats into execution."

"It is hard to bear, Jack dear," replied Adair; "I am so sorry for you
and for all your brothers and sisters at home. I don't think mine care
much for me; that's one comfort. But I say, I wish that the blackguards
would let us have our arms free, that we might still have a fight for
our lives."

"Don't speak thus, Terence," said Jack, who was almost overcome by
Adair's allusion to his family. "Don't let us think of the past, but
keep our thoughts fixed on the future world we are about to enter, and
think how very unfit we are of ourselves for the glorious place we would
wish to go to."

Terence listened, and responded in the same tone to his messmate. Much
more they said to the same effect, nor did they forget to offer up their
prayers for preservation from the terrible danger which threatened them.
Then, with the calmness of Christians and brave men, they awaited the
doom they believed prepared for them. Such consolation