.

"But I must stay here, all the same," replied Christy, who felt too
proud to desert the post of duty because it happened to be the post of
danger at the same time.

"But let me take your place, Christy," continued Captain Pecklar,
finishing the ascent of the ladder.

"No, no, captain! Don't expose yourself," protested Christy. "It is as
safe for me as it will be for you."

"But I have got about to the end of my chapter of life; and there is not
more than a year, if there is as much as that, left for me. You are a
young fellow, and the pride of your father, I have no doubt; at any
rate, you ought to be. Give me that place, and you will be safer in the
engine-room."

Captain Pecklar insisted for some time, but Christy obstinately refused
to leave his post.

"Men pulling in the boat with all their might!" shouted Percy.

"I think I can bring their labors in that way to an end," added the
captain. "But do you understand what the Bellevite is doing, Christy?"

"She is coming this way; that is all I know."

"She is coming this way because the major has been fool enough to fire
on the Leopard. The shooting assures your father that this tug is an
enemy."

The captain went below again, leaving Christy to consider his last
remark. But he had not been gone five minutes before the report of a
cannon shook the hull of the Leopard, and the pilot saw that it was on
the forecastle of the tug.

CHAPTER XXVII

A CANNON-BALL THROUGH THE LEOPARD

The gun on the forecastle of the Leopard was placed as far aft as
possible, so that Christy could not see it without putting his head out
at the front windows of the pilot-house, and for this reason he had not
seen what Captain Pecklar was about. But the piece must have been loaded
before, for he could not have charged it without being seen.

The captain had remarked that he could bring the labors of those in
the long-boat to an end, for Major Pierson was urging his men to their
utmost with their oars in order to reach the tug. The smoke prevented
Christy from seeing to what extent he had succeeded, though the fact
that he had fired the gun at the boat was all he needed to satisfy him
of the fidelity of the acting engineer to the cause he had just
espoused.

Christy had not deemed it advisable to change the course of the Leopard;
for the long-boat was approaching her at right angles, and he thought
she would get out of its way, for those in charge of it made no
calc