."

Pulling his hat over his dark brow, he sat long in deep thought, and
not one in all his savage crew but would have preferred to board a
vessel of twice their size than to rouse his commander from his
thoughtful mood.

Captain Horton for some hours after it had become dark the preceding
night, had kept his vessel on the same course, perplexing his mind
with some scheme by which he might deceive the pirate. At length he
gave orders to lower away the yawl boat, and fit a mast to it, which
was speedily done. When all was ready, he hung a lantern to the mast,
with a light that would burn but a short time, and then putting out
his own ship-light, he fastened the tiller of the yawl and set it
adrift, knowing that it would keep its course until some sudden gust
of wind should overcome its steerage way. As soon as he had
accomplished this, he fell off before the wind, and setting his brig
on the opposite tack, as soon as he had got to a good distance from
the light of the yawl, took in all sail till not a rag was left
standing. He kept his brig in this position until he had the
satisfaction of seeing the pirate brig pass to windward in pursuit of
his boat, whose light he knew would go out before the pirate could
overtake it. When the light of the chase had become faint in the
distance, he immediately crowded on all sail, and stood off boldly on
his original course.

None of his crew had gone below to turn in, for all were too anxious
to sleep, and his passengers still stood beside him upon the
quarter-deck; John with a large bundle under his arm, which, in answer
to an inquiry from the merchant, he said was merely a change of dress.

"I think we have given them the slip this time, Mr. Williams," said
Captain Horton.

"I hope so, captain."

"You can sleep now without danger of being disturbed by unwelcome
visiters, Miss Julia."

"Well, captain, I am as glad as my father you have escaped. I wish we
had got near enough to see how they looked though."

"We ought rather, my dear girl, to thank God that they came no nearer
than they did," said her father half reproachfully.

"True, father, true," and bidding Captain Horton good-night, they
retired to the cabin.

"You did fool them nice, didn't you, captin?" said John.

"Yes, John, it was tolerably well done, I think myself," replied the
captain, who, like all of mankind, was more or less vain, and prided
himself peculiarly upon his skill in his own avocation.

"I