Part 47 (2/2)

The _Zoe_ was again sent out to reconnoitre She had been absent for two days, and the pirate began to be alarue that the ene, and that she had fallen into her hands All was, consequently, activity and excitement The crew of the _Sea Haent on board to arrison the castle hurried up there with their arth, a sail was discerned approaching the island, and she was soon pronounced to be the _Zoe_ Nearer and nearer she drew to the land, till there was no doubt of her identity, and as she entered the harbour, she arreeted by those on shore, who hurried down to learn the news she brought Her crew reported that they had visited the island when the English brig-of-war had last been seen, but she was not there, nor could they gain any tidings of her; but that they had, on the following day, when standing to the southward, made out three sails, which, from the squareness of their yards, they conjectured to beon a bowline to the eastward, with the wind at north, but that they deemed it imprudent to approach nearer to ascertain further particulars

This infor a cruise in the _Sea Hawk_, as he had been intending, both to gain further intelligence of the enemy, and to pick up a few prizes to satisfy the ith of tied in what they considered useful activity, as well as to replace the property he had lost by the burning of his tower

Ada had not neglected to inquire for the prisoners who had so severely suffered in her cause, and, though not allowed to communicate with them, she learned from Paolo that they were not treated with any unusual severity, farther than being confined in a chaht or air could penetrate, and that he believed their lives were in no danger

Nina never spoke of the dreadful night when she had first felt the fierceness of her husband's anger; but her sunken eye, her hollow voice, and faded cheek, shohat the effect had been, though, when she met him, she tried to smile as of yore, and to attempt to win him to his better mood

His followers, however, ree had co on its throne

The unhappy Paolo still nourished in silence his love for Ada, and day by day he allowed it to increase, till he could scarcely conceal his feelings in her presence

It was night, and he stood where he had spent many an hour, on the cliff beneath herNo moon was in the sky, and the stars were concealed by a canopy of clouds which hung over the sea, and the wind s with a s

Suddenly the perfect silence which had existed was broken by loud, terrific cries; the roar of cannon--the rattle of musketry--the cheers, and shrieks, and fierce i in deadly coned silence and darkness, all was now the wildest confusion and uproar, and lighted up with the blaze of the death-dealing musketry

The pirate rushed by, and entered Ada's tower, giving orders to his followers, theof which no sooner did Paolo understand, than exclai, ”Now is the time, or she is lost to me for ever,” he hurried after him

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

We left the _Ione_, at the dawn of a fineup towards a s to the ard, while a mistico was seen off the island, directly before the wind, apparently in chase of her The boat, it was judged, was about half way between the two vessels; but then the _Ione_ was nearly dead to leeward, while the h it was a question how far she would venture to chase the boat, or whether she would atteuns

As long as the un-shot, from the closeness hich she could lay to the wind, and her fast sailing, she ht carry off her prey, if such was her object, even before the eyes of those on board the English shi+p, without their being able to e

”Ah, the rascals knohat they are about,” said the lass ”She is one of those piratical craft belonging to the nest of scoundrels on the island there, depend upon it; and they were trying to get hold of the boat, or to run her dohich they are just as likely to do as not, and then they'll be off again in the wind's eye, like a shot, before we can get up to theht, , also, that the boat has some of our friends on board Would to Heaven the breeze would veer a few more points to the southward, and enable us to lay up to her before the mistico reaches her”

”I don't see whatfaster,” said theever h the water with the same wind”

”The mistico draws very fast on the boat, and, by Jove, the villains are firing at her,” exclai the chase through his glass ”Still she bravely holds her own Oh, there's no doubt of her having our friends on board See that the guns are ready, and cover her as soon as we get near enough; but we must take care not to hit the boat instead of the mistico”

The boat was now about two miles off, and theset; and, as well as could be seen at that distance, there was but the one person on board, who steered If there were any others, they had wisely stowed themselves away at the bottom of the boat, to be h fresh, was not too strong to per her whole sail, and she flew rapidly before it; but the mistico went still faster, and, as Bill Hawkins, the captain of the fore-top, observed--

”The little one looks for all the world like a s to escape from a hawk just ready to pounce down on it, and I hope we shall just cole, and save her out of its claws”

”She's the very saht, I shouldn't wonder,” remarked Tom Derrick, who had been one of the cutter's crew ”It would be a real pleasure to get hold of her, to string up every one of the villains at the yard-ar poor Mr Linton; I should be sorry, indeed, if he was to lose the number of his et an opportunity, won't we just pay off therascals for what they have done,” said Hawkins

”My eyes, look there, how the big one is peppering the little chap; one would think she hadn't a whole plank left in her, and yet she stands on as bravely as if there warn't such a thing as a round-shot within a hundred miles of her”