board the _Vulture_
know no pity, lads!"

Growls and murmurs rumbled along the shore from clump to clump of
leaves where the men stood hidden. Chris pulled his spyglass from his
pocket and looked eagerly at the pirate ship only a little way out
from shore.

It looked familiar, although Chris had had time to see so few ships he
could not be certain. He shifted the glass, looking at details here
and there, and at the name in gold carved letters against the
black-painted side. _Vulture_. The letters stood out neat and clear
and then Chris's heart stopped and started again.

"Ned!" he called down softly, for sound carries far and clearly over
water, as every sailor knows, "Ned, don't most ships just paint the
name on the side?"

"Aye lad, that they do," Ned replied in a puzzled tone, looking up
through the leaves at the two boys.

"Then isn't it unusual to have letters carved of wood and gilded, on
the side of a ship?" Chris persisted.

"Aye, that it be." Ned's puzzled tone was sharper now and he looked up
at Chris and then out to the pirate vessel. "What're ye aimin' at now,
me lad, eh?" Ned asked. "What's in your mind?"

"Just tell me what ships you know whose name is not painted on but
set in carved letters, Ned," Chris said, and he lowered his glass and
looked down.

[Illustration]

Their conversation, in the silence, had had some quality of excitement
in it that had been caught by the others, for when Chris glanced down
he saw half the ship's company knotted around the base of the tree,
and a half-circle of faces turned up to his, along with Ned's.

Ned's face puckered with effort for a few moments, as he muttered:
"Let me see, now. There's the _Southerner_--no, that's painted on, or
the _Priscilla Drew_--no; that's painted too." He turned, searching
the faces of his friends. "Come, boys, what ship has carved letters
for her name, not painted ones? Where's a better memory nor mine?"

The Captain and Mr. Finney came to join the crowd, standing back in
the shadow of the palm grove. Both men were listening attentively. It
was Bowie who finally spoke up slowly, as if unwillingly.

"There's only one ship that ever I did see with carven letters on her
side, and that was Chew's ship, the _Venture_."

He was surrounded at once by a low murmur of assent from all sides.
"Aye aye!" "That be so!" "'Tis so!" Chris from his higher perch,
pointed an accusing finger out to sea.

"Look then, for there's your same shi