o do it!" exclaimed Scott.

"I would not irritate him any more than is necessary," said Louis in a
whisper.

"I have lost all patience with him," replied the captain; and his manner
indicated that he spoke the truth.

"You will find before you have done with me that I can and do speak the
truth, Captain Scott. When I made my first attempt to obtain
satisfaction for my noble master in the Archipelago, I failed because
your large ship was armed with cannon, and she disabled my felucca. When
my noble master offered me the command of the Fatime, to be used in
carrying out his wishes, I stipulated that she should be armed with two
twelve-pounders, with a supply of ammunition. I may add that I have
served as an officer in the Turkish navy. Now, Captain Scott, I have
nothing more to say from this boat, and the next time I speak it will be
with twelve-pounders; and my last word is that the Fatime will not go
out of this bay till she leaves with Mr. Belgrave on board of her."

"Adieu!" shouted Scott in mocking tones.

"Do you suppose the villain spoke the truth, Captain?" asked Louis.

"Very likely he did, though he is not in the habit of doing so," replied
Scott, laughing; but he was accustomed to put the best face upon an
awkward situation.

The boat was pulling away from the Maud, and the danger of an attack was
removed for the present. Mazagan appeared to be urging his men to pull
with all their might, and they were doing so. He evidently had a purpose
before him, born of his failure to accomplish anything by his visit to
the Maud.

It seemed to be incredible that this man could be sane and sensible to
make such a proposition as he had put forward; and doubtless it was done
to clothe piracy in a more seemly garb than it usually wears. It was
simply ridiculous on the face of it, with no imaginable foundation for
the preposterous claim advanced.

Mazagan went on board of his steamer, and a few minutes later a cloud of
black smoke began to pour out of her smokestack. Captain Scott had
already ordered Felipe to put his furnaces in order for quick time. At
the indication given of the firing up of the enemy, he went to the
engine-room himself. Don was at work on the fires; and he gave Felipe
directions to get up all the steam possible, and to prepare to run the
Maud at the greatest speed she had ever attained.

Then he went to the pilot-house, and did not appear to be inclined to
talk even with Louis. He went to work u