Gatty.—"I hope it is as you say, old Syb, and I hope still more that they will join us soon, and I hope most of all that they will leave Hargrave behind."
Sybil.—"Poor thing, but what will they do with her?"
Gatty.—"Eat her, I dare say, and very tough——"
Lilly.—"Oh, Mother, look there! Oh, look! look! Here is Zoë coming, and Smart, and Jenny."
Up we all jumped, and saw the three stealing round the rocks, not two hundred yards from the shore. Run, we all shouted, waving everything we could lay our hands on. They saw us in a moment, and quitting the shelter of the rocks, ran down towards us.
At this moment a noise of yelling and screaming was heard, and the whole body of pirates, men, women, and children, came rushing out from underneath the waterfall.
Smart heard them first, and catching up Zoë in his arms, giving Jenny some directions, he plunged into the sea, while Jenny kept running to that point of the rock where was the only accessible point for scrambling up. The tide was half flow, which favoured Smart but would impede Jenny, unless she dashed through the waves without regarding a wetting. By the care that Smart took of his little charge, and by Jenny's deliberate proceedings, we saw the servants both meant to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the child.
We, on our parts, were bewildered for a moment with the coming strife, but the thoughtful boys, rolling stones down to startle away the sharks before their dear Smart's way, recalled us to our senses. We let down the rope ladder, and the ready Smart swam to it. Placing his precious charge on it, he watched her run nimbly up it and we receive her with rapture in safety, when he wiped his streaming brow, and plunged into the sea again.
Leaving the little ones all to kiss and embrace the lost and found, we ran to the other side to watch Jenny, and help her if we could. She is flying now, and dashes through the water, heedless of the coming waves. She does not intend to be taken prisoner again without a struggle. But there is one horrid pirate outstripping all the others. "Oh, Jenny, Jenny, run, he is gaining on you." What shall we do to help her? How shall we bear to see her taken before our eyes? She touches the rock. "A few more steps, Jenny, and you can seize the rope we have let down to assist you. Oh, horrid fellow, did ever any one run so fast. Ah, it is of no use, dear, dear Jenny; one more effort." "Mother, Mother," said Oscar, "cannot I shoot him?" "No, dear boy," said Schillie, "you cannot without hurting Jenny." "But let me try, do let me try. Oh dear, oh dear, it is too late, he has hold of her." Throwing away his gun, the boy swung down by the rope before we could prevent him. In vain Jenny called on him not to come, he was down in a moment, and attacked the pirate, who had both arms round Jenny, with his cutlass. She struggled, and turning round aided his efforts by buffeting the pirate in the face with her hands and nails. At this moment Smart appeared, emerging from the sea, having swam round the rock. One blow from his powerful fist settled the matter. The pirate fell down stunned upon the rocks. Oscar gave him a parting kick, and then all three assisting each other, scrambled up the rock in no time, where we most joyfully received them, and where they did not arrive a minute too soon, for the whole body of pirates were close at hand.