"Do you hear?" cried Jack, catching him by the shoulder as a heavy-looking man came on deck, lurched slightly, recovered himself, and then walked fiercely and steadily up to the group. "Bad news, captain," said another of the men, who had just come aboard. "Bad--news?" said Jack, heavily. "Bad news of the Commodore!" said the heavy-looking fellow, who was now swaying himself to and fro, evidently drunk in body but sober in mind. "Yes," said the man who had first spoken, "bad news." "Tell me," cried Jack, hoarsely, as he pressed forward to gaze full in the speaker's face, "what is it? They have not sent him away?" The man was silent; and as the rest of the crew, attracted by the return of the boat, clustered round, Jack reeled. "Stand by, my lad," whispered Bart at his ear. "Don't forget." The words seemed to give nerve to the sturdy, broad-shouldered young man, who spoke hoarsely. "Tried and condemned," he said, in a hoarse, strange voice. "They've hung him--" "What!" "In chains on a gibbet." A hoarse, guttural sound escaped from Jack's throat as he clung tightly to Bart's arm. "The gibbet's on the low point by the mangrove swamp," said the man. "They've cut down two palms about a dozen feet and nailed another across, and the captain's swinging there." "A lie!" yelled Jack; "not my brother!" There was a dead pause of utter silence for a few moments, and then the man said slowly: "Yes, we all saw it and made sure;" and a murmur of acquiescence arose from his three companions, who had been in the boat in search of far different information to that which they had brought. "But not my brother?" groaned Jack. "Yes," said the man. "It was Commodore Junk." As a dead silence once more fell upon the poop, the dark, heavy-looking man stood swaying to and fro for a few minutes, gazing down at Jack, who had dropped into a sitting position upon a water-keg, his arms resting upon his knees, his hands hanging, and his head drooped; while Bart stood by his shoulder with his face wrinkled and a pained expression upon his brow, just illumined by the bright glint of the stars. The heavy man nodded and seemed about to speak, but remained silent for a time. Then patting Jack on the shoulder: "Brave lad! Good captain! For time of war!" he said. "But never mind, my lads. We'll pay them for it, yet." He lurched slightly and walked slowly toward the captain's cabin, unnoticed by Jack and Bart; but Dinny's eyes were sharp enough to read what all this meant, and he turned to his comrade Dick. "Look at that, now!" he whispered. "Ay, I was looking. What does it mean?" "Mane!" said Dinny, scornfully. "It manes that Black Mazzard thinks he's captain now." "Then if the throat-cutting scoundrel is, I'm off first chance." "An' I'm wid ye," said Dinny, earnestly. "I'll go and lade a virtuous life." "And leave the skipper's brother and Bart?" Dinny pulled off his cap and rubbed his head viciously.