er seen a man tied to the main-mast when the sun is hottest? Or
have you witnessed the jest of sewing a man naked in a raw hide and
exposing him to the sun's rays till the skin on his body shrivels?"

"You can torture me," William remarked quietly.

"That is why I shall _not_," answered Davis. "Here, men, release this
fellow and guard him well, for we shall yet make a man of him. Since I
turned pirate, this is the first rascal who has dared to defy me: take
good care of him, he'll be my successor some day."

William remained on the pirate ship, hoping that it would encounter a
stronger vessel and he would thus be released.

Not a week passed without a fray, the pirates attacked every vessel that
appeared on the horizon, even when it was larger than their own, and
always conquered; the foe was vanquished or yielded, fortune favored the
robbers.

At last two ships of war pursued the Sea Devil. William now hoped
confidently for liberation. The foe had eighty guns and two hundred men,
while the pirate had thirty guns and a crew of sixty.

When the pirates perceived that they could not fly, they boldly attacked
one of the frigates and, at the first fire, sent a red hot ball into the
enemy's powder magazine. The vessel was instantly blown into the air,
her companion set sail and, with cowardly haste, fled from the pirates.

"So that is the fate of honest folk!" thought William, as the pirates'
shouts of victory echoed around him, and turning to his next neighbor,
he said:

"Give me a drink from your calabash."

The man was Skyrme.

"All right, my lad!" shouted the Hercules, giving the youth a hearty
slap on the shoulder, "I knew this would be the end."

As he spoke he drew the young man to the captain and, before the eyes of
the whole ship's company, he wrote in the black book the name: Robert
Barthelemy.

* * * * *

Sisters, betrothed bride, and grandmother had wept till their hearts
were relieved. The hour had passed, William had returned. He could not
give his family a single shilling, though his ship was full of treasure.
But it was all stolen property, and William could bring nothing stained
with crime beneath the roof where his dear ones dwelt--poor, but pure in
heart.

The gray-haired grandmother kissed and blessed him, her tears falling on
his head, the girls went with him to the shore and, while Julietta clung
about his neck, the others lingered behind, in order not to