when they perceived a dark object rising under it: it was a ground shark, who took it into his maw, sank down, and disappeared.

“What was that?” said Jack.

“That ground shark, Massa Easy—worst shark of all; you neber see him till you feel him;” and Mesty’s eyes sparkled with pleasure. “By de powers, they soon stop de mutiny; now I hab ’em.”

Jack shuddered and walked away.

During the day, the men on shore were seen to work hard, and make all the preparations before they abandoned themselves to the sensual gratification of intemperance. The tent was pitched, the fire was lighted, and all the articles taken on shore rolled up and stowed away in their places; they were seen to sit down and dine, for they were within hail of the ship, and then one of the casks of wine was spiled. In the meantime the Spaniard, who was a quiet lad, had prepared the dinner for Easy and his now only companion. The evening closed, and all was noise and revelry on shore; and as they danced, and sung, and tossed off the cans of wine by the light of the fire, as they hallooed and screamed and became more and more intoxicated, Mesty turned to Jack with his bitter smile, and only said,—

“Stop a little.”

At last the noise grew fainter, the fire died away, and gradually all was silent. Jack was still hanging over the gangway when Mesty came up to him. The new moon had just risen, and Jack’s eyes were fixed upon it.

“Now, Massa Easy, please you come aft and lower down little boat; take your pistols and then we go on shore and bring off the cutter; they all asleep now.”

“But why should we leave them without a boat, Mesty?” for Jack thought of the sharks, and the probability of the men attempting to swim off.

“I tell you, sar, this night they get drunk, to—morrow they get drunk again, but drunken men never keep quiet—suppose one man say to others, ‘Let’s go board and kill officer, and then we do as we please,’ they all say yes, and they all come and do it. No, sar—must have boat—if not for your sake, I must hab it, save my own life anyhow, for they hate me and kill me first;— by de powers, stop a little.”

Jack felt the truth of Mesty’s observation; he went aft with him, lowered down the small boat, and they hauled it alongside. Jack went down with Mesty into the cabin and fetched his pistols.—“And the Spaniard, Mesty, can we leave him on board alone?”

“Yes, sar, he no got arms, and he see dat we have— but suppose he find arms he never dare do anything—I know de man.”

Our hero and Mesty went down into the boat and shoved off, pulling gently on shore; the men were in a state of intoxication, so as not to be able to move, much less hear. They cast off the cutter, towed her on board, and made her fast with the other boat astern.

“Now, sar, we may go to bed; to—morrow morning you will see.”

“They have everything they require on shore,” replied Easy; “all they could want with the cutter would be to molest us.”

“Stop a little,” replied Mesty.

Jack and Mesty went to bed, and as a precaution against the Spaniard, which was hardly necessary, Mesty locked the cabin door—but Mesty never forgot anything.