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‘That must be the horrid place,’ exclaimed Ellen, ‘which I saw this morning, and in which I fear Mary Hamilton is–is–‘

‘Now confined,’ interrupted Elvira.

‘Is it not worse than that,’ exclaimed Ellen, eagerly, ‘has she not met with a cruel death?’

‘Oh no, that is no part of the purpose of those who have detained her,’ answered Elvira.

‘Do you know their true purpose, then,’ asked Ellen, ‘relative to her, myself, and the rest of the prisoners?’

‘With regard to Miss Hamilton,’ replied Elvira, ‘Rowland’s purpose is to force her into a union with his son.’

‘And who may his son be?’ again inquired Ellen.

‘No other,’ answered Elvira, impressively, ‘but Herbert Rowland otherwise called Blackbeard, the famous pirate of the Roanoke, who is besides your only brother.’

‘And Captain Rowland?’

‘Is your father.’

‘God of Heaven! can it be possible?’ exclaimed the fair Ellen.

‘It is no less possible than true,’ replied Elvira.

‘Then, in Heaven’s name, let us free Arthur from his fetters,’ exclaimed Ellen, ‘and all of us escape through the cabin window into the boat, that has, I perceive, been left astern.’

Upon hearing this, Elvira immediately left the cabin, but, to Ellen’s greater joy, she shortly after returned, followed by Arthur Huntington, who assisted the females into the boat, after which he entered it himself and succeeded in getting, unperceived, out of sight of the brig, upon the bosom of the wide ocean.

CHAPTER VII.

Singular Interview between Blackbeard and his Father. The Sloop-of-war. Meeting of Rowland and Henry Huntington. Life or Death. The Surprise. The Fight. The Result. Joyful Meeting. The Double Bridal. Happy Conclusion.

Upon entering the main apartment of the pirate’s palace, Blackbeard encountered Captain Roderick Rowland whom he addressed as follows:

‘Ha, mine honored father, so you happened to arrive here just in the nick of time to–‘

‘Be hung, I suppose,’ muttered Rowland from between his teeth.

‘Not quite so bad as that I hope,’ rejoined Blackbeard.

‘I hope not, too,’ answered Rowland; ‘but there is a very dim chance for us to escape with whole necks.’

‘How so, father? What do you mean?’ asked Blackbeard.

‘Did not Lovelace tell you that the Fury was chased all day yesterday by one of His Majesty’s sloops-of-war?’

‘He did not,’ replied Blackbeard, who was greatly astonished by the intelligence thus communicated. ‘But what is to be done?’

‘One of two things must be decided upon, and that quickly,’ answered Rowland. ‘We must either get the brig underweigh, and sail for it, or else shut ourselves up here and fight for it.’

‘You will be obliged to decide upon the latter position, then, for the brig is aground.’

‘D–nation!’ muttered Rowland, then recollecting himself, he continued:

‘Well, Herbert, how many of our crew is there now about the palace?’

‘Not more than a dozen.’

‘There should be thirteen, I think,’ replied Rowland.

‘And there probably would have been had not one of them had his brains knocked out this morning in a scuffle with one of your passengers.’

‘Which one of them was it who dared to strike one of us?’ asked Rowland.

‘A devilish rum one, I can tell you, father. If I mistake not, his name was Henry Huntington.’

‘Have you got him in custody?’

‘Ay, he is safely confined in the cavern.’

‘And I hope we shall have an opportunity to hang him,’ exclaimed Rowland. ‘And Mary Hamilton, is she too, safe?’

‘She is, I believe, in the next room with Violette,’ answered Blackbeard.

‘Herbert, I have resolved that you shall marry that girl,’ said Rowland abruptly.

‘Hell and fury!’ exclaimed Blackbeard. ‘I did not expect that. In your letter, written to me from London, you stated that I was to marry one of the two girls who were about to take passage with you in the Gladiator, so I concluded you meant the youngest, and I have made love to her accordingly.’

‘Good God, Herbert, she is your only sister!’

‘Then I have killed her!’

‘How?’ exclaimed Rowland.

‘I have murdered her,’ replied Blackbeard, who then related to his father the conversation that had passed between himself and Ellen, and its terrible result.