"Beware,"--came again the warning cry, booming deeply over the sea while one and all we strained to hear it--"beware of any Arab ship. Arabs have captured the English ship Alert and have murdered her captain and fifteen men." Squaring her head-yards, the brig dropped her mainsail, braced her cross jack-yard sharp aback, put her helm a-weather and got sternway, while her after sails and helm kept her to the wind. So she fell off from us and the two vessels passed, perhaps never to meet again. Both forward and aft, we aboard the Island Princess were sober men. Kipping and the second mate were talking quietly together, I saw (I saw, too, that Captain Whidden and some of the others were watching them sharply) Mr. Thomas and Roger Hamlin were leaning side by side upon the rail, and forward the men were gathering in groups. It was indeed an ominous message that the brig had given us. But supper broke the tension, and afterwards a more cheerful atmosphere prevailed. As I was sweeping down the deck next day, Roger, to my great surprise,--for by now I was accustomed to his amused silence,--came and spoke to me with something of the old, humorous freedom that was so characteristic of him. "Well, Bennie," said he, "we're quite a man now, are we not?" "We are," I replied shortly. Although I would not for a great deal have given him the satisfaction of knowing it, I had been much vexed, secretly, by his rigidly ignoring me. "Bennie," he said in a low voice, "is there trouble brewing in the forecastle?" I was startled. "Why, no. I've seen no sign of trouble." "No one has talked to you, then?" "Not in such a way as you imply." "Hm! Keep your eyes and ears open, anyway, and if you hear anything that sounds like trouble, let me know--quietly, mind you, even secretly." "What do you mean?" "We are carrying a valuable cargo, and we have very particular orders. All must be thus and so,--exactly thus and so,--and it means more to the owners, Bennie, than I think you realize. Now you go on with your work. But remember--eyes and ears open." That night, as I watched the restless sea and the silent stars, my imagination was stirred as never before. I felt the mystery and wonder of great distances and far places. We were so utterly alone! Except for the passing hail of some stranger, we had cut ourselves off for months from all communication with the larger world. Whatever happened aboard ship, in whatever straits we found ourselves, we must depend solely upon our own resources; and already it appeared that some of our shipmates were scheming and intriguing against one another. Thus I meditated, until the boyish and more natural, perhaps more wholesome, thought of the cook's promise came to me. Pie! My remembrance of pie was almost as intangible as a pleasant dream might be some two days later. With care to escape observation, I made my way to the galley and knocked cautiously.