"Mr. Christie" (Mellins’s real name), he began, as they both stood to attention, "you will have your boat ready, with steam up, to hoist out at five o’clock to-morrow morning. See that her tanks and bunkers are full. You, Mr. Dunning, are the duty cutter for to-morrow, I believe. You will also be ready to lower into the water at five o’clock, and be prepared to be taken in tow. You can provide rifles and pistols for your men, and sling the former under the boat’s thwarts. Ammunition will be given you in the morning. Both of you will see that your crews’ food is prepared overnight, and that your boats’ breakers (water-barrels) are full of drinking-water. Go away and make your preparations at once." Both boys slipped away with eager faces, but with this difference, that whilst Mellins went off to find his coxswain, and was clambering into his boat two minutes afterwards to make certain that all was correct, Dumpling first went down to the gun-room to pose as a hero, specially selected by the Commander, and, with a lot of unnecessary fuss, found his dirk, and took it for’ard to sharpen it on the grindstone. "That youngster wants kicking badly," said Ogston. "He shall get it when he comes back," answered Jeffreys nonchalantly. *CHAPTER XVII* *Spying Out the Pirates* We go Inshore—In Under the Forts—Helplessly Drifting—We Hide among Rocks—A Terrible Moment—Spying Out the Pirates—Taking Notes—Hopkins Again—How shall we Escape?—Cummins Decides _Mr. Midshipman Glover tells how he visited the island_ The wound in my leg healed completely in seven days, and I was as right as rain, but that old brute, Dr. Fox, would not let me go off the sick-list. You can imagine how wild this made me, for I was dreadfully afraid of losing my billet in "No. 3". The coming of the _Undaunted_ had put new life into everybody, and when Mellins and Dumpling got their orders that night, the wildest rumours went flying round. I tried my best to make Mellins stow me away in the bows of his picket-boat, but, good chap as he was, he would not hear of it, even though I offered to bring a big home-made cake which had come in the mail. Poor old Mellins! it _was_ hard for him to refuse. Just think, then, how I felt when at 4.30 next morning the half-deck sentry woke me with, "Commander wants you, sir, immediate!" Down I climbed—into my clothes—shoved a cap on my head without brushing my hair, and rushed up on deck. "Eh! Mr. Glover," the Commander chuckled, as he looked at me over a cup of hot ship’s cocoa. "Dr. Fox says you are fit for duty, so be prepared to leave the ship at 5 a.m. to report yourself to Mr. Parker."