il
he should intimate to her that she could do so with safety. The firing,
however, was not maintained, and a quarter of an hour later Ned had the
satisfaction of putting his helm down and rounding East Point at the
inner extremity of the Narrows. The sheets now had to be trimmed over,
but the ship being found to steer herself, this was not a matter of any
very great difficulty, Ned leaving the helm to itself for the short time
necessary to enable him and Price to perform the operation; but when he
returned to his post he was greatly concerned to discover that the gig
was less than a quarter of a mile astern, and coming up rapidly, though,
from the unsteady way in which the oars were being handled, it was
evident that the crew were pretty nearly exhausted with their long pull.

The fugitives were now fairly within the Narrows, and in their narrowest
part, moreover; the shore being within a quarter of a mile of them on
either hand. This of itself would have been a matter of no consequence,
however, had the configuration of the land been different; but,
unfortunately, the cliffs towered high above the mast-heads on both
sides of the ship, and as the wind happened to be blowing athwart the
channel the canvas was almost becalmed; indeed, had it not been for a
little draught of air which now and then came down the channel astern of
her, the _Flying Cloud_ would have lost headway altogether. As it was
she still moved through the water, though at a speed barely sufficient
to give her steerage-way; and the crew of the gig, seeing her almost
helpless condition, raised a loud confused shout, which they doubtless
meant for a cheer, and redoubled their efforts at the oars.

Ned lashed the wheel and took up one of the rifles, Price taking
another.

"Now," said Ned, "I have no wish to shed blood if I can help it, so we
will not fire until the very last moment; but if the gig approaches near
enough to enable us to distinguish Williams' eyes--there he sits in the
stern-sheets with the yoke-lines in his hands--we _must_ fire in self-
defence. And mind, Joe, it is the oarsmen we must fire at; we must
disable _them_, and so prevent the nearer approach of the boat, for if
she once gets alongside and they succeed in boarding us, our throats
will be cut within five minutes afterwards. Look out! Williams is
going to fire again!"

They saw the pirate raise his rifle and take a long steady aim; then
came the flash. The bullet struck