ined
some information of the midshipmen, in case the skipper's version of the
affair was true. Adair hurried down to meet her.

"We bring you no news of the missing ones," said the officer in charge;
"we went as far as you directed, and then swept round inshore, but no
dhow could we see."

Adair, more out of spirits than he had ever been in his life before, got
back to the camp. One of the men came running in with the information
that a ship was in sight to the northward. Adair and several others
hurried to the nearest point from which they could see her, and he and
Green were both of opinion that she was the _Opal_. This was confirmed
when she got near enough to make her number. Hopes were entertained
that she was coming to take them off; for, though not exactly tired of
the life they had been leading, they would gladly have gone to some
other locality, where they would be likely to meet with better success
than they could boast of hitherto. Adair, however, found himself
wishing that Murray had not come back. How could he face him with the
account of the loss of the two midshipmen? Murray might blame him, and
not unjustly, for want of judgment in leaving them in charge of a vessel
manned by desperate ruffians, who would, of course, be glad of the
opportunity to revenge themselves on their enemies. "Why did not I
think of that before?" exclaimed poor Terence more than once.

However, he ordered the gig to be manned, and as soon as the corvette
approached the anchorage, he pulled away for her. She had just brought
up, and the hands were aloft furling sails, when his boat got alongside.
Murray was, of course, well pleased to see him, though struck by his
grave looks.

"All hands are well, I hope? and the youngsters, have they managed to
keep themselves out of mischief?" asked Murray.

Adair, a very unwonted thing, felt inclined to hang down his head, as,
with a faltering voice, he told the story of their loss.

"You don't mean to say you left those two lads, with only four careless
men, to manage a set of cut-throats!" exclaimed Murray.

"I am sorry to say I did, not supposing that the said cut-throats would
venture to turn upon them," answered Adair.

"That's it, Adair, that's it," exclaimed Murray, more testily than he
was accustomed to speak; "you are too apt not to consider the
consequences of what you do, and, from want of judgment, the lives of
those boys have been thrown away."

"Really, you ar