Part 8 (1/2)

”Gone six bells, young gentlemen. Really if this sort o' thing goes on, I'll take the number o' your hammocks, and report ye on the quarter-deck next time your aunt comes on board.”

”All right, Captain Tom, we'll be out in five minutes.”

And up we jumped, and were speedily dressed, and on deck for our morning walk.

But we thought no more of the dream.

It went as completely out of our minds as if we had never dreamed it at all.

But it was brought to our minds about a month afterwards in a way I am never likely to forget.

Meanwhile we still kept up our game of playing at being pirates.

It was summer now, and dear sister Mattie came often to see us, more often with her Mummy Gray than with Aunt Serapheema.

Of course we initiated her into the mystery of the pirate-game, and she took a most active part in it too. She acted the rich old dowager who had bags of gold and treasures untold, diamonds and all the rest of it, and who was eventually captured, and made to walk the plank with the rest of the unhappy crew.

I never saw any game take such complete possession of a child, as that pirate-play did of Mattie. She came oftener on board now than she might otherwise have done; she entered into the thing heart and soul, suggesting many improvements we never should have thought about, and acting her part as if to the manner born.

Of course she was told of the black flag, and must see it, and her eyes actually sparkled as they fell on the weird white skull and bleached cross-bones.

Things went on thus for some weeks longer, the pirate-play never losing interest, and each of us being thorough masters of his or her part.

But one day Mr Moore with his wife were invited to Trafalgar Cottage and Tom Morley was left in charge of the s.h.i.+p, while at her own special request Mattie was also left on board.

We could play now to our hearts' content.

But we little knew what was before us.

CHAPTER SIX.

AN APPALLING ADVENTURE--”WE MUST PREPARE FOR INSTANT FLIGHT.”

Just after tea, and while Tom was telling some of his most fascinating stories, and we three children were listening with dilated eyes and bated breath, we were hailed by a boatman.

”_Thunderbolt_ ahoy!”

”Ay, ay,” cried Tom, jumping up and rus.h.i.+ng to the gangway--we had been having tea on the upper deck.

Then up sprang an old s.h.i.+pmate of Tom's, and we heard them talking earnestly together and looking towards us. At last Tom advanced almost shyly. ”I dunno really,” he said, ”if one o' you young gentlemen would like to be left in charge of the old _Thunderbolt_ for an hour or so.

Yonder's an old s.h.i.+pmate o' mine, and I'd dearly like to run on sh.o.r.e for maybe an hour.”

”Oh, we'd like it immensely.” We spoke these words both at the same time, as strangely enough we always did speak brief sentences, when excited.

”Well then,” said Tom, laughing and addressing me, ”You're Captain Jack, this is Commander Jill, and this is Mattie the mate.”

”Hurrah!” we shouted. ”Off you trundle, Tom, and see you enjoy yourself properly; and if you don't report yourself in due form when you come on board, we'll put you in irons. D'ye hear?”

”Ay, ay, sir,” said Tom, saluting. Then over the side went he and his friend, and we saw them--_no more_.