d into his face as she spoke.

"No, I should not remember you," he answered; "but yet I remember the
voice of the kind sister who was always ready to suffer for the sake of
her wild brothers. Yes, Maria, I know that you are my sister, and I am
thankful that I have been the means of rescuing you from this place.
How you came here you must tell me by and by. And now I would wish you
to go at once on board the frigate, under the charge of Mr Deane, while
we make a further search round the island for any fugitives who may have
concealed themselves."

Mistress Pearson trembled as her brother spoke these words.

"There is one for whom I would intercede," she said. "Mr Deane will
tell you about him. He has ever been a kind husband to me, and never
till lately did I suspect his occupations. If he has escaped death, let
me entreat you not to hunt him down, and I feel sure that he will turn
to some nobler course, where he will redeem the crimes he has
committed."

Captain Davis very wisely made no answer to this appeal; but directed
Deane, with a party of the seamen as a guard, to convey his new-found
sister down to the boats, and to place her at once on board the frigate.
He, meantime, having collected his men, commenced a further search for
the pirates, some of whom, he was convinced, must have concealed
themselves. The day was thus spent, though with no further success, and
as night was coming on, a large party being placed on board the captured
ships, the remainder returned in the boats to the vessels outside. The
next day the search was continued; but no signs were discovered of the
chief and other officers and men who were supposed to have escaped with
him. The numerous prizes were carried out of the harbour, while all the
huts, and storehouses, and other buildings were set on fire and
destroyed, so that in a short time the whole island was reduced to that
state of desolation in which the pirates had found it.

While the rest of the squadron returned to Jamaica, one vessel was left
to cruise off the island, on the chance of Pearson and his followers,
should they have been concealed on it, attempting to make their escape.
When Jack arrived on board the "Venus," he found the two young
midshipmen, Hawke and Lovatt, and the old quarter-master Burridge, who
welcomed him warmly. They told him that they had managed to make their
escape exactly as they had proposed while the buccaneers were carousing;
and had, fortuna