So busy were we at first, that it was some time before we had an opportunity of inquiring how it was that the pirates had not murdered him and Ben, when they pulled alongside the schooner.  "I believe that they were so astonished at seeing two strangers on their deck, not knowing where we had come from, that it did not occur to them to heave us overboard again.  This gave time to Silva, who at once recognised us, to form a scheme for saving our lives.  Going up to us, he welcomed us as old comrades, hinting that we had some mysterious powers which enabled us to go about over the ocean wherever we liked, seated on our cloaks, or in cocoa-nut shells for aught I know.  The pirates on hearing this, received us in a very friendly way, and all of them swore that no harm should happen to us.  However, when we were required to take the oaths of the fraternity, and steadily refused, some of them began to suspect that Silva had been deceiving them.  Our punt alongside showed that at all events we had not come on board on our cloaks.  However, as they had sworn no harm should come to us, they kept their word, with the intention of landing us, as they have done, on this or some other uninhabited island.  After Silva had lost his authority, I suspect that our treatment would have been very different to what we found it at first."