the taffrail just at their feet.
Williams dashed the piece down, savagely disappointed at his ill-
success; and Ned stepped to the wheel and gave it a slight adjusting
touch. When he turned again Williams was standing up in the boat, with
his hands to his mouth, and next moment came the hail:

"_Cloud_ ahoy! If you will heave-to at once I solemnly swear that no
harm will come to either of you. I will pass over and forgive your mad
attempt to run away with the ship; but if you compel us to pull
alongside and recapture her, look out! Your punishment shall be such
that I will make you positively _pray_ to be put out of your misery. Do
you hear me, there?"

"I can see his eyes now," said Ned. "I will fire first; and directly
the smoke clears away you must follow suit, taking care to fire into the
thick of the crew so as to do all the mischief possible. Now!"

As Ned spoke he levelled his piece, and aiming carefully, pulled the
trigger. Simultaneously with the report came a sharp yell of agony and
a groan, and as the smoke drifted away two oars were seen to drop
overboard and two forms to sink down into the bottom of the boat. Then
Price's piece spoke out, and Williams himself sprang convulsively from
his seat and fell forward. This caused a great deal of confusion and a
temporary suspension of the pursuit, during which Ned again went to the
helm. By this time the ship, having drifted past the highest point of
land to windward, once more began to feel the breeze; and when the gig--
having lost a good hundred yards' distance--again resumed the chase the
ship was creeping ahead at a speed of fully three knots, with the wind
coming truer and fresher at every fathom of progress. The men in the
gig now pulled most furiously, and actually crept up to within about
twenty feet of the ship's quarter, but--she increasing her speed every
moment--they could get no nearer, try as they would. At length one of
them bethought himself of the rifle, which he picked up and with some
difficulty loaded; then, standing up unsteadily in the stern-sheets, he
pointed and fired the piece, harmlessly so far as the fugitives were
concerned, but not so for himself, for the recoil and his intoxicated
condition together combined to upset his equilibrium so completely that
as the piece exploded he staggered backwards and, amid the jeers and
loud laughter of his comrades, disappeared with a splash over the stern
of the boat. The pause made