out-of-the-way islands in the Pacific--there to go and live
among the natives, and never more to see the faces of civilised men--
against whom he had sinned so grievously. His intentions were hastened
by the fact that a British man-of-war on the Vancouver station, hearing
of his exploits, had resolved to search for him. And this cruiser did
in fact come across his track and gave chase; but being a poor sailer,
was left behind just before the pirate had reached Ratinga, where, as we
have seen, she put in for water.

The discovery there made, as he supposed, that Antonio Zeppa had
recovered his reason and returned home, not only amazed and puzzled
Rosco, but disconcerted part of his plan, which was to find Zeppa, whose
image had never ceased to trouble his conscience, and, if possible,
convey him to the neighbourhood of some port whence he could easily
return to Ratinga. It now struck him that, since Zeppa was no longer on
Sugar-loaf Island, that spot would be as favourable a one as could be
found for his purpose, being far removed from the usual tracks of
commerce. He would go there, take to the mountains as Zeppa had done
before him, leave his dissatisfied comrades to follow their own devices,
and, crossing over to the other side of the island, ingratiate himself
as well as he could with the natives, grow beard and moustache, which he
had hitherto shaved, and pass himself off as a shipwrecked sailor,
should any vessel or cruiser touch there.

"And shipwrecked I am, body, soul, and spirit," he muttered, bitterly,
as he sat in his cabin, brooding over the past and future.

Leaving him there, and thus, we will return to Ratinga, the peaceful
inhabitants of which were destined at this time to be tickled with
several little shocks of more or less agreeable surprise.

One of these shocks was the sudden disappearance of Zariffa, the native
missionary's brown baby. It was an insignificant event in itself, and
is only mentioned because of its having led indirectly to events of
greater importance.

Zariffa had, by that time, passed out of the condition of
brown-babyhood. She had, to her own intense delight, been promoted to
the condition of a decently-clad little savage. In addition to the
scuttle bonnet which was not quite so tremulous as that of her mother,
she now sported a blue flannel petticoat. This was deemed sufficient
for her, the climate being warm.

Zariffa was still, however, too young to take care of h