country, the life and honour of its citizens should be a dearer object than even the apprehension or punishment of the guilty; taking care, however, to qualify the last expression as much as possible, for fear of giving umbrage to the pirates. Bunce read over the letter, which fortunately met his approbation; and on seeing the name of Claud Halcro at the bottom, he exclaimed, in great surprise, and with more energetic expressions of asseveration than we choose to record—“ Why, you are the little fellow that played the fiddle to old Manager Gadabout's company, at Hogs Norton, the first season I came out there! I thought I knew your catchword of glorious John." At another time this recognition might not have been very grateful to Halcro's minstrel pride; but as matters stood with him, the discovery of a golden mine could not have made him more happy. He instantly remembered the very hopeful young performer who came out in Don Sebastian, and judiciously added, that the muse of glorious John had never received such excellent support during the time that he was first (he might have added, and only) violin to Mr. Gadabout's company. "Why, yes," said Bunce, "I believe you are right—I think I might have shaken the scene as well as Booth or Betterton either. But I was destined to figure on other boards" (striking his foot upon the deck), "and I believe I must stick by them, till I find no board at all to support me. But now, old acquaintance, I will do something for you-slue yourself this way a bit I would have you solus." They leaned over the taffrail, while Bunce whispered with more seriousness than he usually showed, "I am sorry for this honest old heart of Norway pine-blight me if I am not-and for the daughters, too-besides, I have my own reasons for befriending one of them. I can be a wild fellow with a willing lass of the game; but to such decent and innocent creatures-d-n me, I am Scipio at Numantia, and Alexander in the tent of Darius. You remember how I touch off Alexander?” (here he started into heroics :) "Thus from the grave I rise to save my love; All draw your swords, with wings of lightning move. Claud Halcro failed not to bestow the necessary commendations on his declamation, declaring that, in his opinion as an honest man, he had always thought Mr. Altamont's giving that speech far superior in tone and energy to Betterton. Bunce, or Altamont, wrung his hand tenderly. "Ah, you flatter me, my dear friend," he said; "yet, why had not the public some of your judgment!-I should not then have been at this pass. Heaven knows, my dear Mr. Halcro-Heaven knows with what pleasure I could keep you on board with me, just that I might have one friend who loves as much to hear, as I do to recite, the choicest pieces of our finest dramatic authors. The most of us are beasts-and, for the Kirkwall hostage yonder, he uses me, egad, as I use Fletcher, I think, and huffs me the more, the more I do for him. But how delightful would it be in a tropic night, when the ship was hanging on the breeze, with a broad and steady sail, for me to rehearse Alexander, with you for my pit, box, and gallery! Nay (for you are a follower of the muses, as I remember), who knows but you and I might be the means of inspiring, like Orpheus and Eurydice, a pure taste into our companions, and softening their manners, while we excited their better feelings?" This was spoken with so much unction, that Claud Halcro began to be afraid he had both made the actual punch over potent, and mixed too many bewitching ingredients in the cup of flattery which he had administered; and that, under the influence of both potions, the sentimental pirate might detain him by force, merely to realise the scenes which his imagination presented. The conjuncture was, however, too delicate to admit of any active effort on Halcro's part to redeem his blunder, and therefore he only returned the tender pressure of his friend's hand, and uttered the interjection "Alas!" in as pathetic a tone as he could. Bunce immediately resumed: "You are right, my friend, these are but vain visions of felicity, and it remains but for the unhappy Altamont to serve the friend to whom he is now to bid farewell. I have determined to put you and the two girls ashore, with Fletcher for your protection; and so call up the young women, and let them be gone before the devil get aboard of me, or of some one else. You will carry my letter to the magistrates, and second it with your own eloquence, and assure them, that if they hurt but one hair of Cleveland's head, there will be the devil to pay, and no pitch hot." Relieved at heart by this unexpected termination of Bunce's harangue, Halcro descended the companion-ladder two steps at a time, and knocking at the cabin door, could scarce find intelligible language enough to say his errand. The sisters, hearing with unexpected joy that they were to be set ashore, muffled themselves in their cloaks, and, when they learned that the boat was hoisted out, came hastily on deck, where they were apprised, for the first time, to their great horror, that their father was still to remain on board of the pirate. "We will remain with him at every risk,” said Minna—" we may be of some assistance to him, were it but for an instant— we will live and die with him!" "We shall aid him more surely," said Brenda, who comprehended the nature of their situation better than Minna, "by interesting the people of Kirkwall to grant these gentlemen's demands." Spoken like an angel of sense and beauty," said Bunce; "and now away with you; for, d-n me, if this is not like having a lighted linstock in the powder-room-if you speak another word more, confound me if I know how I shall bring myself to part with you!" 'Go, in God's name, my daughters," said Magnus, "I am in God's hand; and when you are gone I shall care little for myself and I shall think and say, as long as I live, that this good gentleman deserves a better trade.-Go-go-away with you!"-for they yet lingered in unwillingness to leave him. Stay not to kiss," said Bunce, "for fear I be tempted to ask my share. Into the boat with you-yet stop an instant." He drew the three captives apart-"Fletcher," said he, "will answer for the rest of the fellows, and will see you safe off the sea-beach. But how to answer for Fletcher, I know not, except by trusting Mr. Halcro with this little guarantee." He offered the minstrel a small double-barrelled pistol, which, he said, was loaded with a brace of balls. Minna observed Halcro's hand tremble as he stretched it out to take the weapon. "Give it to me, sir,” she said, taking it from the outlaw; "and trust to me for defending my sister and myself.” "Bravo, bravo!" shouted Bunce. "There spoke a wench worthy of Cleveland, the King of Rovers!" "Cleveland!" repeated Minna, "do you then know that Cleveland, whom you have twice named? " "Know him! Is there a man alive," said Bunce, "that knows better than I do the best and stoutest fellow ever stepped betwixt stem and stern? When he is out of the bilboes, as please Heaven he shall soon be, I reckon to see you come on board of us, and reign the queen of every sea we sail over. You have got the little guardian, I suppose you know how to use it. If Fletcher behaves ill to you, you need only draw up this piece of iron with your thumb, so-and if he persists, it is but crooking your pretty forefinger thus, and I shall lose the most dutiful messmate that ever man had-though, d-n the dog, he will deserve his death if he disobeys my orders. And now, into the boat—but stay, one kiss for Cleveland's sake." Brenda, in deadly terror, endured his courtesy, but Minna, stepping back with disdain, offered her hand. Bunce laughed, but kissed, with a theatrical air, the fair hand which she ex |