I had already in the course of the voyage acquainted him with the particulars of the ball at Mr Roseapple's, and of my meeting with, and suspicions of Mr Wilson, and that I verily believed I had fallen in with the same person this very night, in the captain of a Buenos-Ayrean privateer. "A privateer!" ejaculated Lennox,--"a privateer!--is there a privateer about the island?' "_A_ privateer!" said the captain of the Moonbeam--"no--not _one_, but _two_ of them, ha, ha, he--and both anchored t'other side of the bluff there, he, he, ho--within pistol-shot of us where we now lie, as the crow flies; although they might remain for a year in that cove, and no one the wiser, ho, ho, he.--In my humble opinion, they will be foul of us before morning, ho, ho, he--and most likely cut all our throats, ha, ha, ho." Poor Saunders Skelp on this fell into a great quandary. "What _shall_ we do, Mr Brail?--we shall be plundered, as sure as fate." "I make small doubt of that," quoth I, "and I only hope _that_ may be the worst of it; but if you and the skipper think with me, I would be off this very hour, sprung mast and all." "How unfortunate!" said Lennox--"Why, I have been working by candle-light ever since you went away, stripping the mast, and seeing all clear when the day broke to----But come, I think a couple of hours may still replace every thing where it was before I began." Our determination was now promptly taken, so we swigged off our horns, and repaired on deck. "Who is there?" said some one from forward, in evident alarm. It was pitch dark, and nothing could be seen but the dim twinkle of the lantern, and the heads and arms of the men at work at the mast head. "Who is there, aft by the companion?" "Why, it is me, what do you want?" said Lennox. "Nothing particular, sir, only there are people on the water close to, ahead of us--take care they do not make free with the buoy." "Hail them then, Williams, and tell them, if they don't keep off, that we will fire at them." "I have hailed them twice, sir, but they give no answer." We all went forward. For some time I could neither see nor hear any thing. At length I thought I heard low voices, and the dip of an oar now and then. Presently I distinctly saw white sparkles in the dark calm water, towards the mouth of the bay, as of a boat keeping her station on guard. By and by, we heard indications of life on the larboard bow also. "Why, we are beset, Lennox, my boy, as sure as fate," said I. "What boats are those?" No answer. "If you don't speak I will fire at you." A low suppressed laugh followed this threat, and we heard, as plain as if we had been alongside of the strangers, three or four sharp clicks, like the cocking of strong musket locks. "Privateers-men, as sure as a gun," said Tooraloo--"oh dear, and they are going to fire at us, don't you hear?"--and he ducked his pate, as if he had seen them taking aim. "I see two boats now as plain as can be," said Lennox.