ot escape me."

"Why, I know that voice. Yes--no--damn me--it must be Ralph Rattlin--it
bean't, sure--and here on his beam ends, a shot in his hull, and one of
his spars shattered. I'd sooner have had my grog watered all my life
than this should have fallen out."

"You have not had your grog watered this evening, Pigtop," said I,
rising, assisted by himself and his comrades. "I don't feel much hurt,
after all."

"True, true, shipmate. But we must clap a stopper over all. Small-shot
in the chest are bad messmates. We must make a tourniquet of my skysail
here."

So, without heeding my cries of pain, he passed his handkerchief round
my breast; and by the means of twisting his walking-stick in the knot,
he hove it so tight, that he not only stopped all effusion of blood, but
almost all my efforts at breathing. My left hand still held the
discharged pistol, which I gave into the custody of Pigtop. Upon
further examination, I found that there was no fracture of the bone of
my arm; and that, all things considered, I could walk tolerably well.
However, I still felt a violent pain in my chest, attended with
difficulty of breathing, at the least accelerated pace.

CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR.

RALPH APPEARS BEFORE A MAGISTRATE, AND PROVES TO BE MORE FRIGHTENED THAN
HURT, THOUGH FRIGHTENED AS LITTLE AS A VERITABLE HERO SHOULD BE--A GREAT
DEAL OF FUSS ABOUT A LITTLE DUST, NOT KICKED UP, BUT FINALLY LAID DOWN.

We got on, nevertheless, Pigtop shaking his head very dolefully,
whenever I paused to recover breath.

We entered the first house that we came to; that of an agricultural
labourer. We told our adventure, and the good man immediately proceeded
to acquaint the patrol and the constable. I was anxious to examine the
nature of my wound, to which my old messmate would not listen for a
moment. He was particularly sorry that he saw no blood, from which
symptom he argued the worst-looking upon me as a dead man, being certain
that I was bleeding inwardly.

I decided for a post-chaise, that I might hasten to town and make my
depositions; for I was determined to let loose the hounds of the law
after my dastardly enemies, without the loss of a moment. The chaise
was soon procured; and, much to the satisfaction of Pigtop, we drove
directly to Bow Street--the good fellow having a firm persuasion that
the moment his make-shift tourniquet was withdrawn, I should breathe my
last. I had no such direful apprehensions.

When