There was a momentary silence.

"You don't answer me," says the Pirate
Captain. "Now, I mean to be answered. Look
here, women." He drew one of his four pistols
out of his gay scarlet sling, and walked up
to Tom Packer, who happened to be standing
nearest to him of the men prisoners. "This
is a pistol, and it is loaded. I put the barrel
to the head of this man with my right hand,
and I take out my watch with my left. I
wait five minutes for an answer. If I don't
get it in five minutes, I blow this man's brains
out. I wait five minutes again, and if I
don't get an answer, I blow the next man's
brains out. And so I go on, if you are obstinate,
and your nerves are strong, till not one
of your soldiers or your sailors is left. On
my word of honour, as a gentleman-
buccanier, I promise you that. Ask my men if
I ever broke my word."

He rested the barrel of the pistol against
Tom Packer's head, and looked at his watch,
as perfectly composed, in his cat-like cruelty,
as if he was waiting for the boiling of an
egg.

"If you think it best not to answer him,
ladies," says Tom, "never mind me. It's
my trade to risk my life; and I shall lose it
in a good cause."

"A brave man," said the Pirate Captain,
lightly. "Well, ladies, are you going to sacrifice
the brave man?"

"We are going to save him," said Miss
Maryon," as he has striven to save us. I
belong to the captain of the sloop. I am his
sister." She stopped, and whispered anxiously
to Mrs. Macey, who was standing with her.
"Don't acknowledge yourself, as I have done
—you have children."

"Good!" said the Pirate Captain. "The
answer is given, and the brains may stop in
the brave man's head." He put his watch and
pistol back, and took two or three quick puffs
at his cigar to keep it alight—then handed the
paper he had written on, and his penfull of
ink, to Miss Maryon.

"Read that over," he said, "and sign it
for yourself, and the women and children
with you."

Saying those words, he turned round
briskly on his heel, and began talking, in a
whisper, to Giant Georgy, the big English
mate. What he was talking about, of course,
I could not hear; but I noticed that he
motioned several times straight into the
interior of the country.

"Davis," said Miss Maryon, "look at
this."

She crossed before her sister, as she spoke,
and held the paper which the Pirate Captain
had given to her, under my eyes—my bound
arms not allowing me to take it myself.
Never to my dying day shall I forget the
shame I felt, when I was obliged to
acknowledge to Miss Maryon that I could not
read a word of it!

"There are better men than me, ma'am,"
I said, with a sinking heart, "who can read
it, and advise you for the best."

"None better," she answered, quietly.
"None, whose advice I would so willingly
take. I have seen enough, to feel sure of
that. Listen, Davis, while I read."

Her pale face turned paler still, as she fixed
her eyes on the paper. Lowering her voice
to a whisper, so that the women and children
near might not hear, she read me these
lines:

"To the Captains of English men-of-war, and to
the commanders of vessels of other nations, cruising in
the Caribbean Seas.

"The precious metal and the jewels laid up in the
English Island of Silver-Store, are in the possession of
the Buccaniers, at sea.

"The women and children of the Island of Silver-
Store, to the number of Twenty-Two, are in the
possession of the Buccaniers, on land.

"They will be taken up the country, with fourteen
men prisoners (whose lives the Buccaniers have
private reasons of their own for preserving), to a place of
confinement, which is unapproachable by strangers.
They will be kept there until a certain day, previously
agreed on between the Buccaniers at sea, and the
Buccaniers on land.

"If, by that time, no news from the party at sea,
reaches the party on land, it will be taken for granted
that the expedition which conveys away the silver and
jewels has been met, engaged, and conquered by
superior force; that the Treasure has been taken from its
present owners; and that the Buccaniers guarding it,
have been made prisoners, to be dealt with according
to the law.

"The absence of the expected news at the appointed
time, being interpreted in this way, it will be the next
object of the Buccaniers on land to take reprisals for
the loss and the injury inflicted on their companions at
sea. The lives of the women and children of the
Island of Silver-Store are absolutely at their mercy;
and those lives will pay the forfeit, if the Treasure is
taken away, and if the men in possession of it come
to harm.

"This paper will be nailed to the lid of the largest
chest taken from the Island. Any officer whom the
chances of war may bring within reading distance of it,
is warned to pause and consider, before his conduct
signs the death-warrant of the women and children of
an English colony.

"Signed, under the Black Flag,

"PEDRO MENDEZ,

"Commander of the Buccaniers, and Chief of the
Guard over the English Prisoners."

"The statement above written, in so far as it
regards the situation we are now placed in, may be
depended on as the truth.

"Signed, on behalf of the imprisoned women and
children of the Island of Silver-Store."

"Beneath this last line," said Miss Maryon,
pointing to it, "is a blank space, in which I
am expected to sign my name."

"And in five minutes' time," added the
Pirate Captain, who had stolen close up to us,
"or the same consequences will follow which
I had the pleasure of explaining to you a few
minutes ago."