se me?" asked the young chief.

A suppressed murmur ran through the ranks of the pirates, but no one
raised his voice distinctly.

Barthelemy now turned to Captain Rolls and, taking from his pocket a
piece of paper and a pencil he said:

"Captain Rolls! I hope you will reach London with your ship in safety.
It is true that you will return her to her owners empty, but that is no
fault of yours, in proof of which I will give you the following
certificate for your justification at home.

We, free knights of fortune, bear witness in the
presence of all whom it concerns, that Rolls, captain
of the brigantine Neptune, was attacked by us on the
Pacific Ocean, and, having just lost his guns and part
of his rigging in a gale, defended himself against us
in the bravest manner for an hour and a half, and did
not yield until, after losing nine of our best men and
our captain, we completely overwhelmed him and thereby
alone obtained the silver entrusted to his care.

CAPTAIN ROBERT BARTHELEMY.

"Add," said Rolls, "that you succeeded in securing the silver only
through Scudamore's treachery."

"True," replied Barthelemy, adding the sentence.

"Gentlemen!" interposed Scudamore trembling, "what are you going to do
with me?"

"Nothing," said Barthelemy. "We promised that we would not harm a hair
of your head."

"Yes," returned the other mournfully, "but if you release the captain,
and me with him, what is to become of me?"

"I don't know," returned the corsair-chief, shrugging his shoulders.

Skyrme laughed aloud. "That's a splendid joke!"

"For heaven's sake! What shall I say to you?" stammered Scudamore,
throwing himself at Barthelemy's feet. "Oh, gentlemen, don't leave me in
this man's power, he will have no mercy on me. He is a horrible
villain."

"Ha! ha! ha!" cried Skyrme. "Don't spoil this joke, captain. When you
set the commander of the brigantine free, let him take this fellow with
him; what a fine lot of talk there will be when they call him to account
at home for the service he has rendered us."

"Gentlemen! Brave men!" shrieked Scudamore clasping Barthelemy's knees.
"Surely you are only jesting with me. It amuses you to drive me to
desperation in this way, but you will not really ruin me. You cannot
forget that I have rendered you an important service, and shall perform
still more. I am a physician; you need one, take me with yo