_Birb._ Cleverly garrotted. _Medora._ [_Struggling_:] Help! Murder! _Birb._ Silence her--choke--muzzle--gag her. Or, stay--let me assist you with a dagger. _Yussuf._ No. No. _Medora._ Help! Conrad! _Yussuf._ Silence--come along! [_Drags her out, R._ _Medora._ Help! _Birb._ [_Calling after him._] Get a pitch-plaster and pitch it strong. _Enter CORSAIRS, L._ _1st Cors._ What noise was that? A cry for help we heard-- _Birb._ [_Aside._] So just in time--[_aloud_]--a cry--pooh! pooh! absurd! _2d Cors._ I’m sure I heard a voice for aid imploring-- _Birb._ Pshaw! you’re mistaken--’twas our captain snoring. _1st Cors._ [_Seeing CONRAD._] Conrad asleep! _Birb._ Yes, that’s a pretty way For a great pirate chief to pass the day! Hear me, my friends--our captain is a do. _1st Cors._ How? _Birb._ Not the leader for brave men like you. _1st Cors._ Nay, have a care how Conrad you abuse-- _Birb._ A spooney humbug--always in the blues-- Pining and sighing-- _2d Cors._ Well, that’s true enough-- He is too sentimental. _Birb._ He’s a muff! Not fit to be our leader. _1st Cors._ P’raps you’re right. _Birb._ Didn’t he leave us all on shore, last night, To get home as we could? _2d Cors._ That was a fault. _Birb._ Let’s give him pepper--he’s not worth his salt. _Corsairs._ We will--we will. _Birb._ Said like brave men and true! You mean, though, what you say? _Corsairs._ We do--we do. _Birb._ One blow and we are free--we then can take Another leader--come-- [_Music._--_They approach CONRAD, with daggers raised. The Scene opens and SERENA appears behind._ _Serena._ Wake, Conrad, wake. _Conrad._ [_Starts up._] Methought I heard a voice cry, sleep no more-- [_Sees CORSAIRS._ Halloa! [_They slink away._] Here, stop! don’t go. Ho! guard the door. This looks like a rebellion, eh, my men? [_CORSAIRS kneel._ _1st Cors._ [L.] Pardon us, mighty Conrad. _Birb._ [_Aside, R._] Sold again! _2d Cors._ It was Birbanto, here, that drove us to it. _Birb._ Pardon, great chief, I didn’t go to do it. _Conrad._ Kneel, traitor! _Birb._ [_Kneeling._] Can you, then, forgive?