nted."

I was just about to do as he advised me, when old Tom, pointing to the
eastward, towards which our starboard broadside was turned, exclaimed,
"As sure as I'm an Englishman there come the boats, and I can make out
three of them pulling abreast; we shall see them more clearly
presently."

The watch below, which had lately turned in, were soon roused up, and I
called Charlie Tilston, as he had begged me to do.

"We will have the port guns over to the starboard side, and give the
fellows a salute which will show that we are not to be caught napping,"
said Harry. "All ready, there?"

He took charge of one gun, Tom of another, Lizard of the third, and I of
the last. We waited till the boats had got as far as we could judge
within range, and then fired together, aiming as carefully as we could.
We then immediately reloaded, to be ready for them should they make a
dash at us. Whether or not we had hit either of the boats we could not
be certain, they still appeared to be coming on. Just then Harry
exclaimed--

"Trim sails; here's the breeze."

The helm was put up, the fore-topsail blew out, the mainsail filled.

"Ease off the main-sheet," cried Harry, and the schooner began to glide
once more through the water. We watched the boats now right astern;
they still kept following us, hoping not to let their prey escape them.
We had two ports in the stern, through which our guns could be fired.
Harry had them dragged over for that purpose, and we at once began to
blaze away at our pursuers. For some time we could see them still
following us, showing that they had hitherto escaped our shot. The
breeze was freshening, the schooner ran faster and faster through the
water.

"Hurrah! They have given it up," I shouted, as I saw them pulling
round.

"One more parting shot," cried old Tom, and before Harry could stop him
he fired.

"That was not a miss, at all events," he cried out.

Almost immediately afterwards we could distinguish only two boats--
evidence that one of them had been sunk. In a short time we had
completely lost sight of them, and all fear of pursuit was over.

We had reason to be thankful that we had avoided a fight, for, desperate
as the fellows were, many of us might have been wounded, if not killed,
even though we had driven them back; the alternative of their succeeding
was too dreadful to contemplate. Harry at once hastened below to assure
Mary and Fanny that all danger was over. I no