skipper, when Green returned
on deck.

"No, but we have found enough to convince us that you have murdered the
unhappy wretches you induced to come on board," answered Green.

"You should rather say our passengers treacherously rose on us, and we
had to fight in self-defence," said the skipper, forgetting what he had
said about the smallpox.

"And your men forward are suffering from the wounds they received?" said
Green.

"Such is the case, but I was ashamed to acknowledge how nearly we were
defeated by the savages," said the master, with the greatest coolness.

Green accordingly went forward, and found five men in their bunks, all
badly-wounded, two being nearly at the last gasp.

"I will bring the surgeon to dress their hurts," said Green; "though, if
what I suspect is the case, you all deserve to be sent to the bottom;
and, depend on it, we shall endeavour to get at the truth of the story,
and you will hear more of the matter by and by."

The master shrugged his shoulders; and Green, not thinking it prudent to
leave anyone on board with such villains, returned with the midshipmen
to the ship to make his report. Jack was doubting how to proceed with
the brigantine, when her sails were let fall, and, the breeze
freshening, she stood away to windward. As the _Dragon_ had not even
her fires lighted, there was but little chance of catching her, and Jack
did not think it worth while to go in chase, as he felt pretty sure that
she would not continue her kidnapping cruise.

The next day the look-out announced that he saw a fleet of vessels
ahead. "A grove of palm trees, rather," observed Green, laughing. As
the ship rose and fell in the swell, the trees alternately disappeared
and came into sight; and, on getting nearer, a coral island hove in
view; it consisted of a ring a quarter of a mile or so in width, with a
lagoon in the centre. First was seen a line of surf, then a white sandy
beach, and beyond a belt of green ground, sparsely sprinkled with
cocoanut and pandanus trees, and here and there with a few bushes of low
growth. The ship stood along the shore at a respectful distance, a
look-out being kept for inhabitants, as Jack thought it possible that if
any of the people had escaped from the brigantine, they might have
managed to effect a landing, the natives of these islands being
generally first-rate swimmers. No one, however, was seen, and he feared
that the whole of the kidnapped people must have pe