Seeing this, and fearing that they might not perceive us, we all three waved pieces of cocoa-nut cloth in the air, and soon had the satisfaction of seeing them beginning to lower a boat and bustle about the decks as if they meant to land.

Suddenly a flag was run up to the peak, a little cloud of white smoke rose from the schooner's side, and, before we could guess their intentions, a cannon-shot came crashing through the bushes, carried away several cocoa-nut trees in its passage, and burst in atoms against the cliff a few yards below the spot on which we stood.
With feelings of terror we now observed that the flag at the schooner's peak was black, with a Death's head and cross bones upon it.

As we gazed at each other in blank amazement, the word "pirate" escaped our lips simultaneously.
"What is to be done ?" cried Peterkin, as we observed a boat shoot from the vessel's side, and make for the entrance of the reef.

"If they take us off the island, it will either be to throw us overboard for sport, or to make pirates of us." I did not reply, but looked at Jack, as being our only resource in this emergency.

He stood with folded arms, and his eyes fixed with a grave, anxious expression on the ground.