the men on board of the prospect before them, and to see that they were ready to second any effort that should be made. This plan was adopted, and accordingly, about twenty-five men got together in the cabin, each having provided himself with some club, or spar, or other weapon. The captain alone had a sword and pistol, which he had found concealed in a drawer, and which had escaped the search of the pirates. Brusque now took place on the transom of the vessel, where he could have a full view of the pirate ship. He sat long, earnestly watching the object of his attention. He hardly knew whether to fear or hope for the awful explosion that he anticipated. The sudden transition of two hundred breathing men from life to death, from the full flush of riotous passion and crime into the presence of their God, was a thought too horrible to be dwelt upon. Yet, here were other men, and helpless women and children, whose only chance for life or escape from a fate worse than death, seemed to depend upon that fearful catastrophe. Dwelling upon these agitating topics, Brusque sat in the darkness, gazing upon the pirate ship. In his anxiety, seconds seemed to lengthen into minutes, and minutes into hours. His impatience almost mastered him. His heart beat audibly, and his brain seemed swelled to bursting. He was on the point of starting up to relieve his feelings, when he saw a stream of light like a rocket shoot out from the side of the pirate vessel. In an instant, another and another followed, and then one wide flash enveloped the whole firmament. In the midst of the sea of fire that seemed thrown into the sky, were the fragments of the ship, the wheels of cannon, and the mangled forms of men, seeming like demons, lit up in the red and ghastly glare. This mighty blaze was almost instantly followed by total darkness, by a heavy sound, and by a rocking of the ship, as if struck by a gale. In an instant, the men within, rushed against the hatches, and with one united effort threw them open. Starting to the deck, they soon levelled four of the sentinels with their weapons, and the rest, in the sudden panic, leaped into the sea. The inmates of the ship now found themselves restored to liberty, as if by the hand of enchantment. Passing from the deepest despondency, they indulged in the most violent transports of joy. Brusque made himself known to his parents, and he and Emilie found out each other in the darkness. I need not tell the rest, till we get into another chapter; and that must be deferred to our next number. (_To be continued._) [Illustration: Spectre] The Spectre of the Brocken. I will now tell you of certain strange appearances, which are sometimes produced by clouds, operating like mirrors, and reflecting upon the sky the images of things on the earth.