oned was run out.

"Stand by!" cried the captain.

"Fire!"

In the excitement of the moment, and without knowing what I had to do,
though deeply impressed with the feeling that something ought to be done
when an order was given, I pulled violently at the rope which I had in
my hand; the effect of which was to move the gun very slightly when it
exploded. The result was that the ball, instead of passing well ahead
of the strange vessel, passed close to its bow, and carried away half of
the bowsprit.

The captain turned on me a face absolutely blazing with wrath. He
seized a handspike, and I thought he was about to dash out my brains on
the spot. He hissed at me between his clinched teeth; then, suddenly
bursting into a shout of fiendish laughter, he cried--

"Well, well, after all there's no harm done. It'll make them understand
that we don't mean to trifle with 'em. Clear the boarding-pikes there.
Are the grappling-irons ready?"

"Ay, ay, sir."

By this time the stranger had hove-to, and we were bearing down on her
so rapidly that a few minutes more would bring us alongside. Our men
stood ready for action. They were the worst-looking set of scoundrels I
ever beheld.

"Ship ahoy!" shouted our captain as we drew near, "what ship's that?"

A smart young officer leaped on the bulwarks, and cried, "Come alongside
and I'll tell you. Show your colours."

At the word our colours went up, as colours are usually hoisted, rolled
up like a ball. I watched with intense interest, for I felt that now at
last I should know our true character. The ball of what seemed to be
dark-blue bunting reached the masthead and hung for one instant--then
its folds fell heavily, and were swept out by the breeze. The flag was
black, and in the centre were a white skull and crossbones!

I almost fainted at the sight. I looked at Jack, who stood beside me.
He was as white as a sheet; but his lips were firmly compressed, and his
brows knitted.

"Do we deserve what we have got?" he muttered in a deep, sad voice.

I did not reply; but my conscience answered, "We do--at least I do."

We were now hove-to about a pistol-shot to leeward of the ship, and our
captain, leaping on the bulwark, cried, with a dreadful oath, "Send your
gig alongside instantly with your captain and papers. If you don't look
sharp I'll blow you out of the water."

He had scarcely finished speaking, when a loud shout rent the air, and
the bulwarks of the s