CRUISING AFTER PIRATES. 291 



required a deal of perseverance before he would part 

 with it; but after sending a twenty-four pound shot 

 through the roof of his house, he thought better of 

 his sins." 



" It was time he did," laughingly rejoined Voluntari. 



" He keeps fifteen junks employed robbing his own 

 countrymen chiefly, but foreigners as well when a good 

 opportunity to do so occurs. Since my first little 

 episode with this worthy I have frequently called on 

 him, and although, of course, I gain no news about his 

 own craft, he has no objection to give information 

 relating to the movements of his neighbours, or rather 

 one of his neighbours, who happens to be a feUow- 

 piratical chief. It was only about three weeks ago I 

 took two large junks which I should never have found 

 except through this unneighbourly rascal." 



" I have heard of him," answered the priest, " and I 

 fear he is a great rogue. The most wealthy men in 

 many of these out-of-the-way villages live chiefly by 

 piracy and plunder." 



I decided to remain about the locality for a day or 

 two longer, and early next morning got the gun-boat 

 into a small bay, so narrow, and so perfectly hidden, 

 that she had only just room to swing round her anchor, 

 and until you came over the low hills which surrounded 

 the spot, nothing of the little craft could be seen. 



