f the wounded natives,
so they did not observe him, perhaps. Although the command was issued
in a very uncomplimentary style, Jerry and I agreed that it would be
useless to disobey it; so going about, while he stood at the helm, I ran
forward and let fly the jib-sheet, while the foresail remained to
windward.

"Send your boat aboard us," shouted the same voice.

"We haven't got one," answered Jerry. "You know that well enough, I
should think," he added in a lower voice.

"Oh, we'll send one, then," replied the speaker.

During this time the big schooner was hove-to quite close to us.
Presently some of the crew went aft, and a long gig was lowered from the
schooner's quarter, and a set of as ugly-looking ruffians as I ever cast
eyes on got into her, and pulled towards us. From the specimen we had
witnessed of their conduct, we could only expect to be cut down and
thrown overboard as soon as they stepped on deck. The least
unattractive was a man, apparently an officer, who sat in the
stern-sheets. As he got near I could not help examining his
countenance. He was a mulatto, with handsome, regular features. I felt
certain that I had seen him before, and not long ago. He had on his
head a large broad-brimmed straw hat, a gaily-coloured handkerchief, and
a waistcoat of red silk, while his jacket was of the finest material.
He wore a sash round his waist, and a dagger and a brace of
silver-mounted pistols stuck into it. When he came alongside, he sprang
lightly on to the deck of the schooner, and looked about him.

"Now, my lads, be prepared; show no fear," said the doctor. "Remember
that the worst they can do is to kill us, and they'll gain nothing by
that; so perhaps they will let us live."

As we made not the slightest attempt at resistance, which would have
been madness, even the pirates had no excuse for injuring us. All we
did was to stand quietly at the after-part of the deck waiting what was
next going to happen.

One of the other pirates soon proceeded without ceremony into the cabin,
and the rest went forward down the fore-hatch.

The officer looked at me, and I looked at him. Old Surley, who at first
had been very much inclined to fly at the strangers, growling fiercely,
went up to him and quietly licked his hand. In spite of his
clean-shaven face, his gay clothes, and well filled-out cheeks, I
immediately recognised him as Manuel Silva, as he called himself--the
man whom we had with so much r