Produced by Al Haines. [Illustration: Cover] [Illustration: "_HARRY’S BLOOD WAS UP._" p. 12] CARRIED OFF _A STORY OF PIRATE TIMES_ BY ESMÉ STUART AUTHOR OF ’FOR HALF-A-CROWN’ ’THE LAST HOPE’ ’THE WHITE CHAPEL’ ETC. _WITH FOUR FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS_ LONDON NATIONAL SOCIETY’S DEPOSITORY BROAD SANCTUARY, WESTMINSTER NEW YORK: THOMAS WHITTAKER, 2 & 3 BIBLE HOUSE 1888 _TO_ _CLARISSA AND JOHN_ _I dedicate this story, knowing they are already fond of travelling. They may be glad to hear that the chief events in it are true, and are taken out of an old book written more than two hundred years ago. Yet they may now safely visit the West Indies without fear of being made prisoners by the much dreaded Buccaneers._ _E.S._ [_All rights reserved_] CONTENTS CHAPTER I. THE SACRIFICE II. CAPTURED III. A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND IV. THE PIRATES ARE COMING V. THE SCOUTS VI. HATCHING A PLOT VII. TREACHERY VIII. A BRAVE DEFENCE IX. IMPRISONED X. A FELLOW-COUNTRYMAN XI. THE SECRET PASSAGE XII. A NEW EXPEDITION XIII. THE ESCAPE XIV. DEFENCE TILL DEATH XV. IN THE WOODS XVI. WAITING FOR LUCK XVII. DISCOVERED XVIII. HUNTING A FUGITIVE XIX. IN A LONELY SPOT XX. SAVED XXI. A BAG OF GOLD LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. ’HARRY’S BLOOD WAS UP’ CARLO REFUSED ADMISSION (missing from book) CARLO BEFORE CAPTAIN MORGAN ’SHALL WE LAND?’ (missing from book) CARRIED OFF. CHAPTER I. THE SACRIFICE. It was a beautiful warm spring evening, and as the sun sank slowly in the west it illuminated with quivering golden light the calm waters that surrounded green, marshy Canvey Island, which lies opposite South Benfleet, in the estuary of the Thames. Harry Fenn had just come out of church, and, as was often his wont, he ran up a slight hill, and, shading his eyes, looked intently out towards Canvey and then yet more to his left, where Father Thames clasps hands with the ocean.