"I pr'ythee peace, and be gone!" said Cleveland; "I have one bosom friend left yet, and you will make me bestow its contents on you, or on myself.” "I have it!" said Bunce," I have it!" and on he went, in the vein of Jaffier "Then, by the hell I merit, I'll not leave thee, "I pray you once more to be silent," said Cleveland-"Is it not enough that you have undone me with your treachery, but you must stun me with your silly buffoonery?-I would not have believed you would have lifted a finger against me, Jack, of any man or devil in yonder unhappy ship." "Who, I?" exclaimed Bunce, "I lift a finger against you! And if I did, it was in pure love, and to make you the happiest fellow that ever trode a deck, with your mistress beside you, and fifty fine fellows at your command. Here is Dick Fletcher can bear witness I did all for the best, if he would but speak, instead of lolloping there like a Dutch dogger laid up to be careened.-Get up, Dick, and speak for me, won't you?" "Why, yes, Jack Bunce," answered Fletcher, raising himself with difficulty, and speaking feebly, "I will if I can-and I always know you spoke and did for the best-but howsomdever, d'ye see, it has turned out for the worst this time, for I am bleeding to death, I think." "You can not be such an ass!" said Jack Bunce, springing to his assistance, as did Cleveland. But human aid came too late-he sunk back on the bed, and, turning on his face, expired without a groan. "I always thought him a d-d fool," said Bunce, as he wiped a tear from his eye, "but never such a consummate idiot as to hop the perch so sillily.I have lost the best follower" and he again wiped his eye. Cleveland looked on the dead body, the rugged features of which had remained unaltered by the death-pang-" A bull-dog," he said, "of the true British breed, and, with a better counsellor would have been a better man." "You may say that of some other folks too, Captain, if you are minded to do them justice," said Bunce. 66 "I may indeed, and especially of yourself," said Cleveland, in reply. "Why then, say, Jack, I forgive you," said Bunce; it's but a short word, and soon spoken." "I forgive you from all my soul, Jack," said Cleveland, who had resumed his situation at the window; and the rather that your folly is of little consequence-the morning is come that must bring ruin on us all." "What, you are thinking of the old woman's prophecy you spoke of?" said Bunce. "It will soon be accomplished," answered Cleveland. "Come hither; what do you take yon large square-rigged vessel for, that you see doubling the head-land on the east, and opening the Bay of Strommess?"" "Why, I can't make her well out," said Bunce, "but yonder is old Goffe, takes her for a West Indiaman loaded with rum and sugar, I suppose, for d-n me if he does not slip cable, and stand out to her!" "Instead of running into the shoal-water, which was his only safety," said Cleveland-" The fool! the dotard! the drivelling, drunken idiot!-he will get his liquor hot enough; for yon is the HalcyonSee, she hoists her colours and fires a broad-side! and there will soon be an end of the Fortune's Favourite! I only hope they will fight her to the last plank. The Boatswain used to be staunch enough, and so is Goffe, though an incarnate des mon. Now she shoots away, with all the sail she can spread, and that shows some sense.' "Up goes the Jolly Hodge, the old black flag, with the death's head and hour-glass, and that shows some spunk.' "The hour-glass is turned for us, Jack, for this bout our sand is running fast. Fire away yet, my roving lads-the deep sea or the blue sky, rather than a rope and a yard-arm." There was a moment of anxious and dead silence; the sloop, though hard pressed, maintaining still a running fight, and the frigate continuing in full chase, but scarce returning a shot. At length the vessels neared each other, so as to show that the man-of-war intended to board the sloop, instead of sinking her, probably to secure the plunder which might be in the pirate vessel. "Now Goffe now boatswain!" exclaimed Cleveland, in an ecstacy of impatience, and as if they could have heard his commands, "stand by sheets and tacks-rake her with a broadside, when you are under her bows, then about ship, and go off on the other tack like a wild goose. The sails shiver -the helm's a-lee-Ah!-deep-sea sink the lubbers!-they miss stays, and the frigate runs them a-board!" Accordingly the various manœuvres of the chase had brought them so near, that Cleveland, with his spy-glass, could see the man-of-war's-man boarding by the yards and bowsprit, in irresistible numbers, their naked cutlasses flashing in the sun, when, at that critical moment, both ships were enveloped in a cloud of thick black smoke, which suddenly arose on board the captured pirate. "Exeunt omnes, " said Bunce, with clasped hands. "There went the Fortune's Favourite, ship and crew," said Cleveland, at the same instant. "But the smoke immediately clearing away. showed that the damage hsd only been partial, and that from want of a sufficient quantity of powder, the pirates had failed in their desperate attempt to blow up their vessel with the Halcyon. "Shortly after the action was over, Captain Weatherport of the Halcyon, sent an officer and a party of mariners to the House of Stennis, to demand of them the pirate seamen who were their prisoners, and, in particular, Cleveland and Bunce, who acted as Captain and Lieutenant of the gang. This was a demand which was not to be resisted, though Magnus Troil could have wished sincerely that the roof under which he lived could have been allowed as an asylum at least to Cleveland. The officer's orders were peremptory; and he added, it was Captain Weatherport's intention to land the other prisoners, and send the whole with a sufficient escort, across the island to Kirkwall, in order to undergo an examination there before the civil authorities, previous to their being sent off to London for trial at the High Court of Admiralty. Magnus could therefore only intercede for good usage to Cleveland, and that he might not be stripped or plundered, which the officer, struck by his good mien, and compassionating his situation, readily promised. The honest Udaller would have said something in the way of comfort to Cleveland himself, but he could not find words to express it, and only shook his head. "Old friend," said Cleveland, " you may have much to complain of—yet you pity instead of exulting over me-for the sake of you and yours, I will never harm human being more. Take this from me my last hope, but my last temptation also"-he drew from his bosom a pocket-pistol, and gave it to Magnus Troil. "Remember me to but no-let every one forget me.-I am your prisoner, sir," said he to the officer. “And I also,” said poor Bunce; and putting on a theatrical countenance, he ranted, with no very perceptible faltering in his tone, the words of Pierre: "Captain, you should be a gentleman of honour; To entertain my fate, and die with decency." THE news of the capture of the rover soon reached to Kirkwall, about an hour before noon, and filled all men with wonder and with joy. Little business was that day done at the Fair, whilst people of all ages and occupations streamed from the town to see the prisoners as they were marched towards Kirkwall, and to triumph in the different appearance which they now bore from that which they had exhibited when ranting, swaggering, and bully ing, in the streets of that town. The bayonets of the marines were soon seen to glisten in the sun, and then came on the melancholy troop of captives, hand-cuffed two and two together. Their finery had been partly torn from them by their captors, partly hung in rags about them; many were wounded and covered with blood; many blackened and scorched with the explosion, by which a few of the most desperate had in vain strove to blow up the vessel. Most of them seemed sullen and impenitent, some were more becomingly affected with their condition, and a few braved it out, and sung the same ribald songs to which they had made the |