e.

Boldheart now addressed his men, promising to blow them up if he should
feel convinced that their reputation required it, and giving orders that
the Latin-Grammar-Master should be taken alive. He then dismissed them
to their quarters, and the fight began with a broadside from The Beauty.
She then veered round, and poured in another. The Scorpion (so was the
bark of the Latin-Grammar-Master appropriately called) was not slow to
return her fire, and a terrific cannonading ensued, in which the guns of
The Beauty did tremendous execution.

The Latin-Grammar-Master was seen upon the poop, in the midst of the
smoke and fire, encouraging his men. To do him justice, he was no
Craven, though his white hat, his short grey trousers, and his long
snuff-coloured surtout reaching to his heels--the self-same coat in
which he had spited Boldheart--contrasted most unfavourably with the
brilliant uniform of the latter. At this moment Boldheart, seizing a
pike and putting himself at the head of his men, gave the word to board.

A desperate conflict ensued in the hammock nettings--or somewhere in
about that direction--until the Latin-Grammar-Master, having all his
masts gone, his hull and rigging shot through and through, and seeing
Boldheart slashing a path towards him, hauled down his flag himself,
gave up his sword to Boldheart, and asked for quarter. Scarce had he
been put into the captain's boat, 'ere The Scorpion went down with all
on board.

On Captain Boldheart's now assembling his men, a circumstance occurred.
He found it necessary with one blow of his cutlass to kill the Cook,
who, having lost his brother in the late action, was making at the
Latin-Grammar-Master in an infuriated state, intent on his destruction
with a carving-knife.

Captain Boldheart then turned to the Latin-Grammar-Master, severely
reproaching him with his perfidy, and put it to his crew what they
considered that a master who spited a boy deserved?

They answered with one voice, "Death."

"It may be so," said the Captain; "but it shall never be said that
Boldheart stained his hour of triumph with the blood of his enemy.
Prepare the cutter."

The cutter was immediately prepared.

"Without taking your life," said the Captain, "I must yet for ever
deprive you of the power of spiting other boys. I shall turn you adrift
in this boat. You will find in her two oars, a compass, a bottle of rum,
a small cask of water, a piece of pork, a bag of biscuit, a