'Of course it is,' replied Poplin, significantly.

'But the Indiaman you know,' suggested Pepper, 'carried double the
number of guns that the brig does.'

'She carries a Captain Rowland also,' said Poplin, drily.

'Ah, I understand it all now,' said Pepper, 'so let us confine the
prisoners, and then go up and see the fun.'

So saying, a few moments afterwards, Pepper and his companions departed,
leaving Henry Huntington and Pat to their own reflections.

What these reflections were, we shall leave for the present to the
imagination of our readers, and resume in our next chapter the further
adventures of Blackbeard, Arthur Huntington, and sweet Ellen Armstrong.




CHAPTER VI.

_Interview between Blackbeard and Ellen--Attempted Murder of
the latter. Interference of Elvira. Blackbeard's Departure.
Elvira's History. The Escape._


After having ordered her close alongside the East Indiaman, Blackbeard
immediately descended to the place where sweet Ellen Armstrong was
confined as a prisoner, and addressed its occupant, in the following