"We may set the bay on fire to-night if it will only burn. Do you see that little steam-yacht, Captain, making for the town?" replied Louis, as he pointed to the pretty craft. "I see her; and she is quite a handsome steam-launch," answered the commander. "That is the Salihé, in which Flix and I, with the 'middy,' made the voyage from Madeira to Tarifa," added Louis. "That? It seems to be quite impossible." "She has been at the gangway, and her captain and owner, Mr. Giles Chickworth, told us all about her, and how he happened to buy her of the Grand Mogul;" and Louis proceeded to relate the entire history of the craft, and to inform the commander that the big four had engaged her for a moonlight excursion on the bay. Captain Ringgold made no serious objection to the enterprise. CHAPTER III THE POSSIBLE DANGERS OF THE VOYAGE Scott Fencelowe, who had been on probation over three months, proved very unexpectedly to the captain and others on board of the Guardian-Mother to be thoroughly reformed. As soon as the commander was satisfied on this point, he treated him with great kindness and consideration. The young man had been a very diligent student, and, having rather remarkable ability, he made rapid progress in his studies. The stateroom formerly occupied by the third officer, leading off the promenade deck, like those of the first and second officers, had been assigned to him. He was nominally a quartermaster, though his services were seldom required at the wheel. He was the commander's messenger, and had come to be called the "middy." He had the charge of the flags and signals, and was made useful in any capacity in which he could be of service. He messed with the officers, and as a sort of reward of merit he was occasionally invited to dine with the cabin party, as were the other principal officers of the ship. The other boys treated him as though he had been in every respect their equal, as indeed he was, except that he was a petty officer, as Felix was the captain's clerk. Scott was a very skilful boatman, and in three months he had learned his duty as a seaman. "I suppose this moonlight excursion means an adventure of some sort, Sir Louis," said Captain Ringgold, when the serious part of the business was settled, and no objection had been made to the enterprise of the big four. "Of course I am bound to be a knight-errant wherever I go and whatever I do, and I am as sure to get into an adventure as I am to get into my berth when I turn in," replied Louis, laughing with the captain all the time. "It generally happens so. You were going to the top of the Peak of Teneriffe; but instead of going there, you had a battle with banditti, and whipped out your captors in a felucca." "But the big four came back safe and sound, and brought the enemy with them." "You were all plucky, and I believe you never fail to get the better of all enemies in whatever form they come."