distress."

"But how are we to account for their being on board, and in our cabin?"
asked Jack.

"Let your Malay friend, then, settle that; he'll know what will be most
likely to go down with the Chinamen," answered Captain Willock.

"I think, rather, that we should boldly say that we brought them, and
claim them as our share of the loot as the Indians call it--the booty,"
said Murray. "Now all the miserable wretches from whom we rescued them
have, in all probability, been destroyed, there will be no one, unless
any of our own crew saw our proceedings, to witness against us. When
the pirates find that they are to get a ransom for the ladies, they will
be very much obliged to us for having saved them, and, depend on it,
will treat them properly."

Murray's plan, which was certainly the wisest, as it was the most
straightforward, was agreed to. They, however, said nothing till late
in the evening, when the fleet of junks dropped their ponderous wooden
anchors close to the shore in a beautiful little bay, surrounded by
green hills covered to the water's edge with trees.

"The pirates are fellows of some taste to choose this beautiful spot for
their harbour," observed Jack, looking round.

"Not they," answered Captain Willock with a laugh. "I guess now they
choose it because it hides them pretty securely, and they can sweep out
and pounce down on any unfortunate craft which they may catch unprepared
for them in the neighbourhood. But here's our skipper; Fi Tan you call
him, don't you? Well, he's a mild, decent, quiet old gentleman; don't
look as if his trade was cutting throats. You'd better tell him about
the ladies, or he will be finding it out himself."

Jack and Alick agreed to this, and calling Jos, begged him to open the
subject to the pirate captain, which he did with no little
circumlocution; and very considerable departure from the real facts of
the case, notwithstanding Jack's charge to him to adhere to them. The
Malay had two reasons for this. In the first place, he had got so
completely into the way of telling falsehoods, that he could scarcely
speak the truth had he tried; and in the second place, he knew that,
speak the truth or not, he should not be believed. Old Fi Tan having
heard Jos to an end, and watched the dumb-show of the midshipmen and
Americans, desired to have the cabin-door opened. The old lady, who had
thrown herself into a bed, started up, and was going to shriek out, when
Ca