CHAPTER IV

PIRACY

BY DUSK the trim little brigantine was scudding away toward

the west before a wind that could not have suited her better

had it been made to order at the special behest of the devil

himself to speed his minions upon their devil's work.

All hands were in the best of humor. The crew had

forgotten their recent rancor at not having been permitted

shore leave at Honolulu in the expectancy of adventure in the

near future, for there was that in the atmosphere of the

Halfmoon which proclaimed louder than words the proximity

of excitement, and the goal toward which they had been

sailing since they left San Francisco.

Skipper Simms and Divine were elated at the luck which

had brought them to Honolulu in the nick of time, and at the

success of Theriere's mission at that port. They had figured

upon a week at least there before the second officer of the

Halfmoon could ingratiate himself sufficiently into the

goodwill of the Hardings to learn their plans, and now they were

congratulating themselves upon their acumen in selecting so fit

an agent as the Frenchman for the work he had handled so

expeditiously and so well.

Ward was pleased that he had not been forced to prolong

the galling masquerade of valet to his inferior officer. He was

hopeful, too, that coming events would bring to the fore an

opportunity to satisfy the vengeance he had inwardly sworn

against the sailor who had so roughly manhandled him a few

weeks past--Theriere had not been in error in his estimate of

his fellow-officer.

Billy Byrne, the arduous labor of making sail over for the

<<BackPagesTo menuNext>>