away.

"I am sorry to give you all this trouble," he said quite calmly. "You
young gentlemen will, I hope, return good for evil, and I shall be
grateful."

We were, however, not to be deceived by such an address. Charley
replied that his orders were to place him in his cabin by himself, and
that was better treatment than he might have expected.

"Certainly," answered Captain Roderick, looking quite pleased; "it is a
favour I should not have ventured to ask for. If my steward has
escaped, I'll trouble you to tell him I should like some food. He is a
good cook, and if you order him, he will prepare supper for you,
gentlemen. He knows where all the provisions are stowed and will
speedily carry out your directions."

On this being reported to Mr Hallton, he immediately ordered supper to
be prepared in the chief cabin.

As I moved across the deck, the only difference I could see between the
man-of-war's men and the pirates was, that the former were armed and
that the latter were not; but as they still numbered more men than the
party from the "Rover," it struck me that they might easily possess
themselves of the means of offence and master their captors. During
daylight it was not likely that they would venture to do this, as the
frigate would quickly have retaken the ship. I clearly remember this
idea passing through my mind. As Harry and I had had nothing but farina
for the past three days, and for several hours we had been without food,
we were very glad when we were summoned into the cabin. Here we found a
really handsome repast spread out, everything secured by "fiddles" and
"puddings," for the ship was tumbling about too much to allow the plates
and glasses otherwise to have remained on the table.

As Tubbs was a respectable man in his appearance, the lieutenant, with
more politeness than might have been expected, invited him to supper.
It may be supposed that we all did justice to the meal placed before us.
Charley had to go on deck until the lieutenant had finished supper;
when he had done so, he went up saying that he would send my brother
down to have some food.

Charley, however, had to hurry again on deck, as he said Mr Hallton
wanted him to keep a look-out. The lieutenant had, considering the time
he had been occupied, imbibed no small amount of liquor, though it did
not appear to have affected his head.

Harry, Tubbs, and I ate our suppers more leisurely. As may be supposed,
having obtained