about and had a good look at her. Titty’s pirate was sitting on the afterdeck, sheltered from the wind by the cabin and the awning. They sailed close under the stern of the houseboat and saw him, sitting in his deck-chair, writing at something on his knees. The green parrot was perched on the railing and looked down on the Swallow , while the wind ruffled the green feathers on his back. The retired pirate looked up for a moment as they passed and then went on with his work.
“What’s he doing?” said Roger.
“The parrot?” said John.
“No,” said Roger, “the pirate.”
“Probably making treasure charts,” said John. “Look out. I’m going about now.”
The Swallow swung round and headed out of the bay, to pass on the northern side of the huge buoy to which the houseboat was moored. The brown sail hid the houseboat from John and Roger until they were nearly past the buoy. Just for one moment, however, they had a good view of her bows, when they saw something that made the old blue launch that had been turned into a houseboat seem more pirate-like than ever.
Roger saw it first. John was too busy with the steering to look at much else beside the brown sail, to be kept full of wind but not too full, and to think of much else beside keeping the wind on his right cheek and nose as he looked forward. Swallow was sailing very fast and they saw the thing only for a moment. But there could be no doubt about what it was.
“He’s got a cannon,” said Roger. “Look, look!”
On the foredeck of the houseboat, on the starboard side, its round, shiny nose poking out above the blue planking, was a brightly polished little