" Sail on the starboard bow f" " What is she ?" asked Captain Mar tin Pieterszoon, looking anxiously in that direction ; for in the Eastern seas, two hundred years ago^.eyery. s,traiige. sail was a terror to the c'aptairf of a well - laden Dutch merchantman. " Can't quite make her out yet," an swered the look-out at the masthead ; looks like a brigantine— very rakish cut, altogether." The captain's face darkened, and his lips tightened. They tightened still more a few minutes later when the look-out hailed again, "She's an armed brigantine, bearing right down upon us." Every face among the crew seemed to harden suddenly, but no one spoke. Indeed, what need was thereof words ? All on board understood in a moment what was before them. They were about to be attacked by pirates, and there was not a single cannon — not even an old musket — aboard the vessel. It was a terrible moment for them all — more terrible still for the. poor captain. For years he had been toil ing and saving, bearing every kind of hardship and facing every kind oi danger, until he had made money enough to become part owner of the ship that he commanded. He had made three successful trips in her, and was now going home for good, to settle himself in a snug little house on the great canal at Amsterdam, with rosy-cheeked Gredel Vooi't, his old neighbor's only daughter, for his wife. And now, all in a momeut, he found himself face to face with a hideous peril, which threatened him the loss of all he had in the world, and life to boot. The crew stood looking moodily at the approaching vessel, which came sweeping over the bright blue sea, with its huge sails outspread like the wings of a swan — a perfect picture of beauty, though it brought death along with it. Some of the bolder spirits were beginning to mutter to each other that it would be better to set fire to their own ship, and die like men than be flung into the Sea like dogs, when the captain's gloomy face suddenly lighted up as nobody had ever seen it light up yet, and he burst into such a loud, hearty laugh that the doomed men stood amazed to hear him. 