Every fishing boat was overhauled and questioned, and Frank and Pedro went ashore to every group of huts.

The only fact that they learned, was that a schooner answering to the description had been seen some time before.

The information respecting her was, however, very vague; for some asserted that she was sailing one way, some another; and Frank concluded that she had cruised about for some days, before deciding where to lie up.

It was at Tortola that they first gained any useful information.

Many vessels had, during the last six weeks, entered one or other of the deep creeks, and one of them had laid up for nearly a month in a narrow inlet with but one or two negro huts on shore.