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Mulroy thought it his duty to incur the responsibility of running the risk. Montague, to whom the command of the band of united settlers had been given by general consent, had thrown them rapidly into some sort of order, and was about to give the word to charge, when the savage host suddenly began to pour down the hill with frantic yells.
She could not, indeed, follow in the same course, but the moment that Mulroy observed that the pirate had passed the shoals in safety, he stood inshore, and, without waiting to pick up the gig, traversed the channel by which they had entered the bay.
"I don't know that," said Mulroy, in an excited tone; for he could not easily forget the rough usage his vessel had received at the hands of the bold pirate. "I don't know that. No doubt Gascoyne's mate was against him; but the greater part of the crew were evidently in his favor, else why the secret manner in which he was deprived of his command? No, no.
It was, then, with a feeling of no small concern that the pirate heard the look-out shout on the afternoon referred to, "Sail ho!" "Where away?" "On the lee beam." The course of the frigate was at once changed, and she ran down towards the strange sail. "A schooner, sir," observed the second lieutenant to Mr Mulroy. "It looks marvellously like the Foam, alias the Avenger," observed the latter.
In another moment, instead of ploughing her way slowly and doggedly to windward, the Talisman ran swiftly before the breeze toward a dark object which at a distance resembled a boat with a mast and a small flag flying from it. "It is a raft, I think," observed the second lieutenant, as he adjusted the telescope more perfectly. "You are right; and I think there is some one on it," said Mulroy.
"I don't like to be baffled in this way," said Mulroy to his second lieutenant, as they paced the quarter-deck together. "It is very unfortunate," returned the other. "Would it not be well to examine the man called Surly Dick before leaving these waters? You know he let out that there is some island hereabout at which the pirates are wont to rendezvous.
"Apparently not," returned Montague, "but I hope to have the pleasure of seeing you order your men to be punished for their misdeeds; for, if not, I shall be under the necessity of punishing them for you. Is the boat ready, Mr Mulroy?" "It is, sir." "Then, Mr Gascoyne, if you will do me the favour to step into this boat, I will have much pleasure in accompanying you on board your schooner."
"If we were only nearer the island," said Gascoyne in a low tone, as if he were talking to himself, "we might run her on the reef, and the breakers would soon put out the fire." "That would be little consolation to me," said Montague, with a bitter smile. "Lower the boats, Mr Mulroy. The Foam has observed our condition, I see; let them row to it. I will go in the gig."
Mulroy cruised far and wide for fully a week; then he gave up the chase as hopeless. Two days after the breaking of the storm that wrecked the Wasp the Talisman's prow was turned northward towards Sandy Cove. It was the close of a calm, beautiful evening when this was done. A gentle breeze fanned the topsails, although it failed to ruffle the sea.
"Having decided to educate him for the law the only profession that he did not hold in contempt I procured a place for him in the office of Mulroy, Biggup & Lartimore, an excellent firm with whom I had had some dealings. "Myndert entered upon his study of the profession with such ardor, that I was obliged to caution him against ruining his health.
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