rejoin Jack and Peterkin in the cave. But my hopes were suddenly
blasted by the captain crying out, "Hold on, lads, hold on. We'll
give him a taste of the thumb-screws before throwing him to the
sharks. Away with him into the boat. Look alive! the breeze is
freshening."

The men instantly raised me shoulder high, and, hurrying down the
rocks, tossed me into the bottom of the boat, where I lay for some
time stunned with the violence of my fall.

On recovering sufficiently to raise myself on my elbow, I perceived
that we were already outside the coral reef, and close alongside
the schooner, which was of small size and clipper built. I had
only time to observe this much, when I received a severe kick on
the side from one of the men, who ordered me, in a rough voice, to
jump aboard. Rising hastily I clambered up the side. In a few
minutes the boat was hoisted on deck, the vessel's head put close
to the wind, and the Coral Island dropped slowly astern as we beat
up against a head sea.

Immediately after coming aboard, the crew were too busily engaged
in working the ship and getting in the boat to attend to me, so I
remained leaning against the bulwarks close to the gangway,
watching their operations. I was surprised to find that there were
no guns or carronades of any kind in the vessel, which had more of
the appearance of a fast-sailing trader than a pirate. But I was
struck with the neatness of everything. The brass work of the
binnacle and about the tiller, as well as the copper belaying-pins,
were as brightly polished as if they had just come from the
foundry. The decks were pure white, and smooth. The masts were