all out, returned on deck. The
men who had been beaten down in the hold were twenty-two in number,
making the whole complement of thirty. As soon as they had all been put
into the xebeque, she was again hauled off and anchored outside, and
Jack found himself in possession of a fine ship of fourteen guns, with
three prisoners male and three prisoners female.

When the men returned in the boat from the vessel in which the prisoners
had been confined (the hatches having been secured over them, by way of
further precaution), by the advice of Mesty they put on the jackets and
caps of the Spanish seamen, of which there was a plentiful supply below.

"Now what's to be done, Mesty?" inquired Jack.

"Now, sar, we send some of the men aloft to get sails all ready, and
while they do that I cast loose this fellow," pointing to the captain's
servant, "and make him get some breakfast, for he know where to find
it."

"Capital idea of yours, Mesty, for I'm tired of bean-soup already, and I
will go down and pay my respects to the ladies."

Mesty looked over the counter.

"Yes, and be quick too, Massa Easy; damn the women, they toss their
handkerchief in the air to people in the battery--quick, Massa Easy."

Mesty was right--the Spanish girls were waving their handkerchiefs for
assistance; it was all that they could do, poor things. Jack hastened
into the cabin, laid hold of the two young ladies, very politely pulled
them out of the quarter gallery, and begged that they would not give
themselves so much trouble. The young ladies looked very much confused,
and as they could no longer wave their handkerchiefs, they put them up
to their eyes and began to weep, while the elderly lady went on her
knees, and held her hands up for mercy. Jack raised her up, and very
politely handed her to one of the cabin lockers.

In the meantime Mesty, with his gleaming knife and expressive look, had
done wonders with the captain's steward, for such the man was: and a
breakfast of chocolate, salt meat, hams and sausages, white biscuit and
red wine, had been spread on the quarter-deck. The men had come from
aloft, and Jack was summoned on deck. Jack offered his hand to the two
young ladies, and beckoned the old one to follow: the old lady did not
think it advisable to refuse his courtesy, so they accompanied him.

As soon as the females came on deck, and found the two cabin prisoners
bound, they ran to them and embraced them with tears. Jack's