pare to deliver
their fire, the instant their enemy should come within a favourable
position. "Let me entreat you to delay; we know not what may be his
present intentions."

"None shall put foot on the deck of the 'Dart,' without submitting to the
authority of her royal master," returned the stern old tar. "Give it to
him, my men! Scatter the rogues from their guns! and let them know the
danger of approaching a lion, though he should be crippled!"

Wilder saw that remonstrance was now too late for a fresh broadside was
hurled from the "Dart," to defeat any generous intentions that the Rover
might entertain. The ship of the latter received the iron storm, while
advancing, and immediately deviated gracefully from her course, in such a
way as to prevent its repetition. Then she was seen sweeping towards the
bows of the nearly helpless cruiser of the King, and a hoarse summons was
heard ordering her ensign to be lowered.

"Come on, ye villains!" shouted the excited Bignall "Come, and perform the
office with your own hands!"

The graceful ship, as if sensible herself to the taunts of her enemy,
sprung nigher to the wind, and shot across the fore-foot of the "Dart,"
delivering her fire, gun after gun, with deliberate and deadly accuracy,
full into that defenceless portion of her Antagonist. A crush like that of
meeting bodies followed and then fifty grim visages were seen entering the
scene of carnage, armed with the deadly weapons of personal conflict. The
shock of so close and so fatal a discharge had, for the moment, paralyzed
the efforts of the assailed; but no sooner did Bignall, and his
lieutenant, see the dark forms that issued from the smoke on their own
decks, than, with voices that had not even then lost their authority each
summoned a band of followers, backed by whom, they bravely dashed into the
opposite gang-ways of their ship, to stay the torrent. The first encounter
was fierce and fatal, both parties receding a little, to wait for succour
and recover breath."

"Come on, ye murderous thieves!" cried the dauntless veteran, who stood
foremost in his own band, conspicuous by the locks of gray that floated
around his naked head, "well do ye know that heaven is with the right!"

The grim freebooters in his front recoiled and opened; then came a sheet
of flame, from the side of the "Dolphin," through an empty port of her
adversary bearing in its centre a hundred deadly missiles. The sword of
Bignall was flouris