f an hour since. But hold on, lads, come arter me an I'll steer you
to where she is at this moment."

"Thanks be to God," said Mr Mason, with a deep sigh of relief. "Lead
on, my man, and, pray, go quickly."

Bumpus at once led the way to the foot of the cliffs, and went over the
ground at a pace that satisfied even the impatience of the bereaved
father.

While this was occurring on the mountain slopes, the pirates at the foot
of the cliffs had discovered the three children, and, finding that no
one else was near, had seized them and carried them off to a cave near
to which their boat lay on the rocks. They hoped to have obtained some
information from them as to what was going on at the other side of the
island, but, while engaged in a fruitless attempt to screw something out
of Corrie, who was peculiarly refractory, they were interrupted, first
by the yells of Bumpus and his pig, and afterwards by the sudden
appearance of Henry and his party on the edge of a cliff a short way
above the spot where they were assembled. On seeing these, the pirates
started to their feet and drew their cutlasses, while Henry uttered a
shout and ran down the rocks like a deer.

"Shall we have a stand-up fight with 'em, Bill?" said one of the
pirates.

"Not if I can help it--there's four to one," replied the other.

"To the boat," cried several of the men, leading the way, "and let's
take the brats with us."

As Henry's party came pouring down the hill, the more combatively
disposed of the pirates saw at a glance that it would be in vain to
attempt a stand, they therefore discharged a scattering volley from
their pistols, (happily without effect,) and, springing into their boat,
pushed off from the shore, taking the children along with them.

Mr Mason was the first to gain the beach. He had hit upon a shorter
path by which to descend, and rushing forward, plunged into the sea.
Poor little Alice, who at once recognised her father, stretched out her
arms towards him, and would certainly have leaped into the sea had she
not been forcibly detained by one of the pirates, whose special duty it
was to hold her with one hand, while he restrained the violent
demonstrations of Corrie with the other.

The father was too late, however. Already the boat was several yards
from the shore, and the frantic efforts he made in the madness of his
despair to overtake it, only served to exhaust him. When Henry Stuart
reached the beach, it was wit