rt; but for some
reason, probably from over-eagerness on the part of the second mate, the
shot flew wide, passing some twenty yards astern of the schooner.

"Bad luck to it!" exclaimed the discomfited Ritson impatiently. "Run in
the gun, lads; and be smart with it; that's your sort; sponge it well
out; that'll do; now in with the cartridge; three strokes with the
rammer; now home with the shot; run out the gun again; bear a hand with
the priming-iron, you Ned; muzzle to the left--a little more yet; well
with that. Now Tom, stand by--Fire!"

Both vessels fired at precisely the same moment; the schooner's shot
passing in through the _Aurora's_ bulwarks close to the gun, and making
the splinters fly in all directions, one of the latter grazing Captain
Leicester's cheek, and drawing blood; but, very fortunately, beyond this
no further damage was done.

On the other hand, the _Aurora's_ shot, much better aimed this time, cut
the weather whisker-stay on board the schooner, and compelled her to at
once keep dead away before the wind in order to prevent the loss of her
jib-boom.

"Well shot!" exclaimed George enthusiastically. "Fore and main-braces,
lads; port your helm, my man,"--to the helmsman--"and let her come up
`full and by;' round in upon the port-braces, fore and aft; board the
fore and main-tacks; aft with the sheets, cheerily, my lads; if we are
smart we may get out of gun-shot before they can repair that damage.
Well there of all. Now to your gun again, lads, and let's treat them to
another dose of the same sort."

The men sprang about the decks like wild-cats, and, in their elation and
excitement, did the work of at least three men each; the yards were
braced up almost as soon as the ship could luff to the wind; the tacks
were seized and boarded with irresistible strength and energy, the
sheets flattened in; and in considerably less than five minutes the
_Aurora_ was rushing along on a bowline with her lee covering-board
nearly awash, and a clear, glassy surge spouting up on each side of her
cutwater, and foaming away from her sharp bows with a hissing roar which
was sweetest music just then to the ears of her delighted crew.

"_Now_ the old barkie travels," exclaimed the exultant Ritson. "Unhook
the gun-tackles, you sea-dogs, and rush the gun aft; we'll try a shot
out through the stern-ports this time."

At this moment the boom of another gun from the schooner was heard; and
next moment the shot came