Page:Demon ship, or, The pirate of the Mediterranean.pdf/19

Rh broke up. I listened attentively until I became convinced that no one occupied the cabin that night.

Towards morning, as I supposed, I again distinguished voices in the cabin. 'It blows a stiff gale,' was the observation of Jack.—'So much the better,' replied the captain; 'the more way we make, the farther we get from all tbosethose [sic] cursed government vessels. I think we might now venture to fall on any merchantman that comes in our way. We must soon do sometbingsomething [sic], for we have as yet made but a sorry sum out of our present voyage. Let's see—four thousand sterling pounds that belonged to the captain there—rather to us—seeing we had taken him on board.'—'Yes, yes, we have sacked the captain,' observed Jack, facetiously. His companion went on—'His watch, rings, and clothes; and two thousand dollars of the countess's, and her jewels. This might be a fine prize to a sixteen-gun brig of some dozing government, but the Demon was built for greater things.'—'I suppose, captain,' said Jack,' we go on our usual plan, eh? The specie to be distributed among the ship's company, and the jewels and personals to be appropriated, in a quiet way, by the officers? I hope there be no breach of discipline, Captain Vanderleer, in asking where might be deposited that secret casket, containing, you and I and one or two more know what? I mean that we took from the Spanish-American brig.'—'It is in the stern-hold, beneath our feet at this moment,' answered the captain.—'A good one for dividing its contents, said Jack. 'I'll fetch a light in the twinkling of an eye.'—'No need,' replied the captain. 'I warrant me I can lay my hand on it in the dark.' Without the warning of another moment the Demon commander was in our hold. I suppose it was about four in the morning. I had laid Margaret down on some old signal flags, in that division of the hold which Girod had assigned her, and had myself retired behind my own bulwark of meal-sacks, in order that my companion might possess, for her repose, something like the freedom of a small cabin to herself. I had scarcely time to glide round to the side of Margaret ere the merciless buccaneer descended. We almost inserted ourselves into the wooden walls of our hiding-place, and literally drew down the sacks upon us. The captain felt about the apartment with his hand, sometimes pushing it behind the sacks, and sometimes feeling under them. And now he passed his arms through those which aided our concealment. Gracious heaven! his hand discovered the countess's garments; he grasped them tight; he began to drag her forward; but at this moment his foot struck against the casket for which he was searching. He stooped to seize