shouldn't ha' been much afraid on 'em myself if they had caught
us," said John.

"You wouldn't, ah!"

"No! I should ha' hated to see all the crew walk on the plank as they
call it, specially Dick Halyard, but I thinks I should ha' come it
over 'em myself."

"Well, John, I hope you'll never have such occasion to try your powers
of deceit, for I fear you would find yourself wofully mistaken."

"Perhaps not, captin, but I'm confounded sleepy, now we've got away
from the bloody pirates, so I'll just lie down here, captin; I haint
learned to sleep in a hammock yet. I wish you'd let me have a berth,
captin, I hate lying in a circle, it cramps a fellow plaguily."

John talked himself to sleep upon the companion-way, where the
good-natured master of the brig allowed him to remain unmolested, and
soon after yielding the helm to one of the mates, himself "turned in."

As the morning broke over the sea clear and cloudless, while not a
sail was visible in any quarter of the horizon, the revulsion of
feeling occasioned by the transition from despair to confidence, and
indeed entire assurance of safety, was plainly depicted in the joyous
countenances of all on the Betsy Allen. The worthy captain made no
endeavor to check the boisterous merriment of his crew, but lighting
his pipe, seated himself upon the companion-way, with a complacent
smile expanding his sun-browned features, which developed itself into
a self-satisfied and happy laugh as Mr. Williams appeared at the
cabin-door, leading up his daughter to enjoy the pure morning air,
fresh from the clear sky and the bounding waters.

"Ha! ha! Mr. Williams, told you so, not a sail in sight, and a fine
breeze."

"Our thanks are due to you, Captain Horton, for the skillful manner in
which you eluded the pirate ship."

"Oh! I was as glad to get out of sight of the rascal as you could have
been, my dear sir, I assure you; now that we are clear of him, I ain't
afraid to tell Miss Julia that if he had overhauled us we should have
all gone to Davy Jones' locker, and the Betsy Allen would by this time
have been burnt to the water's edge."

"I was not ignorant of the danger at any time, Captain Horton."

"Well, you are a brave girl, and deserve to be a sailor's wife, but
I'm married myself."

"That is unfortunate, captain," said Julia, with a merry laugh, so
musical in its intonations that the rough sailors who heard its sweet
cadence could not resist the contagion, and a brigh