The firing had ceased, and there was no noise save the murmuring of the wind in the pines.
Everett led the way up the rocks and Adele followed. Suddenly, as they rounded a huge bowlder, Everett stopped and pointed ahead of them. “Look! There is a cave!” he whispered. “This is evidently where the wild man lives.”
But Adele’s gaze was fastened to the point of rocks beyond. Suddenly she burst into a merry peal of laughter.
Everett was indeed puzzled. “Adele,” he exclaimed, “why do you laugh?”
“Do you see the flag which is flying on yonder rocks?” she asked.
“Whew!” Everett whistled. “Why, that’s a black flag with a skull and crossbones. Surely the days of pirates are long since passed.”
“You are wrong there,” Adele replied, no longer afraid, but desiring further to mystify the city lad. “Follow me and I will show you the pirates.”
The girl now took the lead, and over the rocks she clambered. Down on the other side was a sheltered cove. Adele peered over and then silently she beckoned Everett to come closer.
The lad’s alarm was changed to amusement when he saw, on the shore below, six boys dressed as pirates, with bright handkerchiefs about their heads. One or two of them had earrings hanging from their ears, and each one had a belt containing a knife and a cutlass and a pistol. They were sitting in a circle around a camp-fire, and the two silent listeners could hear clearly every word that was spoken.
One pirate was talking excitedly. “Shiver my timbers!” he said. “At last we have found what we came for. You remember Ben Gunn, who was left on this deserted island three years ago? Well, this minute I sighted the old sea-dog, hairy and almost bent double, but, dash my buttons, men, if he hasn’t found that treasure that we’ve sailed the seas to get.”