r movements, now that we have determined upon a definite
plan."

"All right, sir, then here goes," answered Simpson. "I'll be back with
the duds in a jiffey."

Simpson's "jiffey" proved to be a pretty long one, for it was fully
twenty minutes before he returned with the clothes--a thin flannel shirt
that had seen its best days, and was so faded from its original colour
and so thoroughly stained with tar and grease that it was difficult to
say what that original colour had been, but was therefore so much the
better suited to the purpose of a disguise--a pair of equally faded
dungaree trousers, and a knitted worsted cap. But his delay had not
been profitless, for happening to find in the forecastle two of the crew
of the _Bangalore_, who had been compelled to join the _Francesca_, and
who, from their dejected appearance, he conjectured were not altogether
pleased or satisfied with the arrangement, he entered into conversation
with them, and soon contrived to elicit from them that his conjecture
was well founded. Thereupon, as there was no time to lose, he took the
bold course of asking them outright whether, in the event of there being
a scheme afoot on the part of others to escape from the brigantine to
the ship, they would be disposed to join in it, to which they replied
that they would gladly, and that indeed they had been discussing the
possibilities of such an attempt when he interrupted them by his descent
into the forecastle. This was enough for Simpson, who at once brought
them aft to me, and I, finding them fully in earnest in their expressed
desire to have nothing to do with the pirates, forthwith unfolded my
plans to them, carefully directing their attention to the somewhat
desperate aspect of the adventure, but at the same time pointing out to
them that every additional seaman whose help we could secure added very
materially to the chances of a successful issue. What I said seemed
only to render them the more determined to sever their brief connection
with the pirates at any cost, and they unhesitatingly declared their
readiness to join me, and to implicitly obey my orders. More than this,
they informed me that there were others of the _Bangalore_ crew who,
they were sure, would be equally ready with themselves, if permitted, to
take part in the adventure, and they consented to hunt up as many of
these men as possible at once, and to have them ready to meet me on the
forecastle to discuss the matter in