y feeling her way, came to an anchorage in the
bay. The second lieutenant was at once sent on shore, with a party of
men, to climb to the summit of the peak; no very easy task, as it turned
out. However, they got up at last, and the lieutenant on his return
reported that from the summit of the headland he had enjoyed a view over
fully thirty miles out to sea, and up and down the coast, so that in the
daytime no vessel could pass within that distance without being sighted.

Several dhows had been chased and boarded, but the evidence for their
condemnation had been insufficient, and with much reluctance Jack had to
let them go. Both he and all under his command would have liked to be
allowed to burn every dhow with a black man on board, but as such a
proceeding would have been illegal, they were compelled to restrain
their zeal. The _Gauntlet_ had again come to an anchor; an hour before
daybreak Tom and Desmond, with a party of men, had been despatched to
make their way to the top of the headland, that they might obtain as
extensive a view as possible over the ocean. As soon as the sun rose
above the horizon a ruddy glow suffused the sky. On reaching the rocky
height at which they were aiming, the rocks they saw around appeared as
if ready to topple down into the plain on the one side. On the other
were deep crevices, sufficient to contain a number of men; thus forming
a natural fortress which might be held by a small party against greatly
superior odds, while here and there shrubs jutted out from the hollows
in which soil, in the course of ages, had been deposited.

As, however, it did not appear likely that any foe would take the
trouble of climbing up to molest them, the midshipmen did not bother
themselves about the advantages of their position. They valued the
hollows rather as affording them at some period of the sun's course a
shelter from his rays, and enabling them to take a quiet snooze while
off watch. The summit of the cliff, however, on which they had to make
their signals to the ship, was perfectly exposed on all sides, and from
it they could take a view, not only over the ocean, but across a
considerable part of the country to the eastward.

"There's a sail," cried Tom, as he swept the wide expanse of water with
his telescope; "and there's another, and another. They're coming up
with a spanking breeze, and will try the old kettle's powers to get up
with them. Make the signal, Desmond; she must s