diminished crew. At first he and his young officers felt disposed to
refuse to work, but Burridge, an experienced old seaman, strongly
advised them to obey.

"There's no use whatsomever, sir, to quarrel with these sort of gentry,"
he observed. "They would as likely as not make a man walk the plank if
they're angry with him, and if we don't try to please them they will
probably send every one of us to be food for the sharks before another
day passes over our heads."

Jack saw the wisdom of this advice, so, putting the best face on the
matter he could, he ordered his own people to commence the work he had
been about to carry out when the pirate appeared. The Frenchmen were
quickly made to change their tone, and the pirates, observing that they
did not work with as good a will as the English, kept pricking them on,
every now and then, with the points of their swords, amusing themselves
greatly at the sight of the grimaces which were made in consequence of
this treatment.

Poor Jack! this was the greatest trial he had ever gone through in his
life. After having fully expected to enter Port Royal in triumph with a
fine prize, thus to have it snatched from him by a band of rascally
pirates! Still he did the best to keep up his spirits, hoping that some
opportunity might occur to enable him ere long to make his escape.

"It cannot be helped," observed Burridge, "and `what cannot be cured,
must be endured,' as my old woman used to say when she allowed the
porridge to burn on the fire. It's a long lane too, you know, sir,
which has no turning, and though maybe these gentry will make us do a
few things we shall not like, still, as long as they don't cut our
throats, we will manage some day or other to get clear of them."

The pirates, to do them justice, were not idle themselves. A
considerable number more now came on board to help get the ship into
order, as it was very evident to them that she was a valuable prize. As
soon as sail could be made on the ship, Jack and his officers were
ordered to keep to their cabins, as he supposed, to prevent them
ascertaining the direction which the ship was steering. This, so far,
proved satisfactory, as it proved that the pirates had no immediate
intention of taking their lives. Three days thus passed away, when from
the perfectly smooth way in which the vessel glided on, Deane suspected
that they were entering some harbour. The midshipmen were of the same
opinion, and Hawk