and, in fact, putting themselves in position, if they found it necessary, to batter the place at daylight.

Morning dawned, and with that dawn came a renewal of the fearful conflict. The pirates had retired now to the building, half fort half dwelling-house, that we have before mentioned, therefore the English advanced upon it, and here a contest, almost unexampled for fury, took place; for the pirates, seeing their fortifications no longer tenable, determined to make a conclusive effort, and, if that failed them, to retire and take advantage of their free communication with the country. They made a sally, then, and were routed. Darby and the Chieftain crossed blades. The Post-captain had hitherto borne down all before him, but now, in making a heavy cut at the Chief, he missed him, and found himself immediately obliged to let his cutlass in order to regain his perpengo dicularity; being thus disarmed, he was obliged to seize his enemy with one hand, while a little middy, who happened to be close by, shoved his dirk into the other; this became a wrestling match, both fell to the ground, where they laid, each struggling hard to be uppermost: the pirate was the most powerful, it would appear, for he gained his point, and seizing Darby's throat was preparing to make a final thrust,

when the Captain drove the dirk well in up to the hilt just beneath the armpit, and uttering a groan the buccaneer fell over. This, then, ended the affair; the few who now remained seeing their Chief bowled over, and being overcome by fatigue and numbers, surrendered themselves, and were at once made close prisoners. The victorious sailors were now anxious for plunder, but by Captain Darby they were held in subjection, and given to understand that all must proceed in an orderly manner; he told them that their wounded would be a first consideration. To give Jack credit, this he readily agreed to, and, under command of a lieutenant, they carried their wounded down to the waterside, thence to be conveyed on board their respective ships, 'Ruby' or 'Emerald.'

Meantime, Captain Darby with half-a-dozen men entered the fort, and commenced an examination, proceeding cautiously for fear of treachery in one of the apartments, stretched out most unpleasantly, spread-eagle fashion, well fastened down and gagged, appeared a young man of perhaps nineteen years of age: they expected to find that he was dead, but far from it, on the contrary, he was all alive, and would perhaps have kicked but for his thongs. This chap was no sooner released and ungagged, than he capered about in a most extraordinary

manner and thanked God most audibly for his deliverance. Darby and his men were astounded to see a young fellow, gaudily attired in Moorish costume, so jolly under the circumstances, but when they heard him speak out in their own lingo, their eyes opened, and their jaws fell alarmingly.

"What the deuce are you? Who the devil are you? How the devil did you get here? And where the devil are you bound now if the wind holds fair?" exclaimed Darby, laying hold of him the last time, for he appeared inclined to bolt, but as he quieted a little, and seemed harmless, he soon let him go, standing between him and the doorway. No sooner had he let go, than the fellow spun round like a teetotum and fell heavily to the ground.

"Strip him, and see if he's hurt," ordered the Skipper.

"No, sir, he ain't hurt, by no manner of means, outwardly; but here's a sort o'lock o'hair; so I 'xpects he's hurt inwardly," said an old quartermaster.

"Oh, I see, some love affair or other, eh? -blue ribbon-R. G.-black hair?-hem. Just clothe him again, and carry him gently down; here's a case for the fatted' calf, or I'm much mistaken."

"Fat calf; Lord, sir, he don't look much like

it now; a few duff-days will do 'en a world of good."

Having collected an enormous heap of treasure and valuables-in fact, pretty well stripped the place-it became necessary most effectually to destroy it, and so a mine was sprung, and the whole affair by degrees was blasted. Jack dearly loves destruction-that bump must be very largely developed with the majority-however, fortunately it happens that Jack is under command. "He who labours with the mind governs others; he who labours with the body is governed."

N

CHAPTER XXIV.

When we dwell on the lips of the lass we adore,
Not a pleasure in Nature is missing;

May his soul be in heav'n-he deserv'd it, I'm sure—
Who was first the inventor of kissing.

Master Adam, I verily think, was the man,
Whose discovery will ne'er be surpass'd :
Well, since the sweet game with creation began,
To the end of the world may it last.

WE left Harold in pretty comfortable quarters; he being in happy ignorance of the character of the place, and truly he must have been quickwitted to understand it, as all hands appeared to strive to keep him in the dark. Wherever he rambled some one or other accompanied him, and never failed to lead him inland; truth to tell, he was rarely unwilling to be led whithersoever his guide listed, for that guide was sure to be of the opposite sex, and pretty if not beautiful.

In the fort Harold's chamber was an exquisitely fitted apartment, and suspended from a brazen bracket was a rough but masterly sketch of a woman, doubtless intended for the Madonna. Our young friend took it into his