"Well, it wasn't," moaned Lucretia Borgia. "Calpurnia just looked
out of the window and discovered that we were in mid-stream."

The ladies crowded anxiously about the stair and attempted to ascend,
Cleopatra in the van; but as the Egyptian Queen reached the doorway
to the upper deck, the door opened, and the hard features of Captain
Kidd were thrust roughly through, and his strident voice rang out
through the gathering gloom. "Pipe my eye for a sardine if we
haven't captured a female seminary!" he cried.

And one by one the ladies, in terror, shrank back into the billiard-
room, while Kidd, overcome by surprise, slammed the door to, and
retreated into the darkness of the forward deck to consult with his
followers as to "what next."



CHAPTER V: A CONFERENCE ON DECK



"Here's a kettle of fish!" said Kidd, pulling his chin whisker in
perplexity as he and his fellow-pirates gathered about the captain to
discuss the situation. "I'm blessed if in all my experience I ever
sailed athwart anything like it afore! Pirating with a lot of low-
down ruffians like you gentlemen is bad enough, but on a craft loaded
to the water's edge with advanced women--I've half a mind to turn
back."

"If you do, you swim--we'll not turn back with you," retorted