d; and he had expected that Gascoyne would have shewn some
symptoms of perplexity, on being thus ordered to conduct the _Talisman_
to a spot where he suspected no schooner would be found; or, if found,
would appear under such a changed aspect, as to warrant his seizing it
on suspicion. As Gascoyne, however, shewed perfect willingness to obey
the order, he turned away and left his strange pilot to conduct the ship
through the reefs, having previously given him to understand that the
touching of a rock, and the termination of his (Gascoyne's) life, would
certainly be simultaneous events.

Meanwhile the _Avenger_, alias the _Foam_, had steered direct for the
shore, into which she apparently ran and disappeared like a
phantom-ship. The coast of this part of the island, where the events we
are narrating occurred, was peculiarly formed. There were several
narrow inlets in the high cliffs which were exceedingly deep, but barely
wide enough to admit of the passage of a large boat, or a small vessel.
Many of these inlets or creeks, which in some respects resembled the
narrow fjords of Norway, though on a miniature scale, were so thickly
fringed with trees, and the luxuriant undergrowth peculiar to southern
climes, that their existence could not be detected from the sea.
Indeed, even after the entrance to any one of them was discovered, no
one would have imagined it to extend so far inland.

Two of those deep narrow inlets, opening from opposite sides of the cape
which lay close to the islet above referred to, had approached so close
to each other at their upper extremities? that they had at last met, in
consequence of the sea undermining and throwing down the cliff that
separated them. Thus the cape was in reality an island; and the two
united inlets formed a narrow strait, through which the _Avenger_ passed
to her former anchorage, by means of four pair of powerful sweeps or
oars. This secret passage was well known to the pirates; and it was
with a lurking feeling that it might some day prove of use to him, that
Gascoyne invariably anchored near to it when he visited the island as a
sandal-wood trader.

During the transit, the carpenters of the schooner were not idle. The
red streak and flag, and griffin's head, were removed; the big gun was
covered with the long boat, and the vessel which entered the one end of
the channel as the warlike _Avenger_, issued from the other side as the
peaceful _Foam_; and, rowing to her f