“Every day I inquired about Roland, and each day I received answers which would have made me believe that the boy was gradually being persuaded to become a pirate—if I had not known that Roland Bayard could never become so perverted.” “No, never, never, never!” firmly declared Rosemary. “But while Bayard was kept a close prisoner, I had the run of the deck,” continued the captain. “One day I asked Silver where he was bound. He told me, with infernal insolence, that he should touch on the coast of England, put me on shore, and then go about his own business. Two days after, we came to anchor on a lonely part of the coast of Cornwall. It was a dark night, and they put me in a boat and took me ashore and left me there, with just two sovereigns in my pocketbook. They had robbed me of thousands, but they left me that much to take me to London. I don’t know why, I am sure, that it should sometimes occur to a scoundrel to stop short of the extreme wickedness he might perpetrate! But at all events, Silver did stop short of the crime of leaving me penniless to perish at night on a desolate seacoast. I passed the night in a solitary fisherman’s cottage. In the morning there was not a sign of the _Argente_ to be seen. She had sailed again. I walked to the nearest railway station, distant twelve miles, and there I took the ‘Parliamentary’ to London—for I had to economize my small funds. I went down to the West India Docks, where I was as well known as the church clock, and saw some of my correspondents, told my story, got all the money I wanted, and took the express to Liverpool; reached there yesterday, engaged a berth, and here I am!” “Was your ship and cargo insured?” inquired Mr. Force. “From keel to masthead,” answered the skipper. “But that was against fire and water and accidents. Now, I don’t know whether being taken by a pirate would be considered as coming under the clause of accidents or not. But, anyway, you know the insurance companies are bound to make a fuss before they pay a cent. They always do.” “Your losses, then, I fear, may be heavy.” “Yes, but not ruinous, even if the insurance companies do not pay, because I have still the _Blue Bird_ that George sails.” “Where is Capt. George now?” inquired Mr. Force. “In the China seas somewhere if he has not been taken by a privateer. But where is your nephew, Leonidas?” inquired Capt. Grandiere. “We do not know. We have not heard from Le for many months. When we last heard it was through a letter from him dated on board the United States ship _Eagle_, then about to sail under sealed orders. We are all, therefore, naturally very anxious,” replied Mr. Force. “Ay! ay! These are anxious times for us all. But, at any rate, the man-of-war is safe from the pirates, who prey only on unarmed merchantmen. Hope the sealed orders were to go after the privateers—that is, pirates.”