he
schooner once more opened fire, the shot flying past the _Aurora_, and
at some distance to leeward of her. This was doubtless in consequence
of the violent motion of the schooner, which, being a much smaller
vessel than the barque, was much more lively in the sea-way. This gave
the _Aurora_ another advantage over the schooner, as was at once
apparent when Ritson recommenced his gun-practice; his first shot
passing through the schooner's topsail in close proximity to the mast.

The firing soon became pretty animated on both sides, the _Aurora_
having, however, a decided advantage over her antagonist both in
rapidity and precision of fire. Thus, while at the end of half an hour
only one of the schooner's shot had touched the barque, and that without
doing any material damage, her own sails and rigging were pretty well
cut up, several shot-holes being visible in her canvas, whilst a number
of ends and bights of ropes were seen streaming to leeward in the wind.

At length a lucky shot from the _Aurora_ struck the schooner's fore-mast
just below the eyes of the rigging, wounding the spar so badly that it
almost immediately afterwards went, carrying away the main-topmast with
it, and in an instant the whole of the pirate's top-hamper was towing to
leeward, causing tremendous confusion on board, and placing the craft
almost completely at the mercy of her antagonist.

A hearty cheer burst from the lips of the _Aurora's_ crew at the sight
of this disaster on board their adversary, a disaster of which George
was determined to take the fullest advantage.

"Now, lads," he exclaimed, "she is at our mercy, and we will inflict on
her a lesson she is not likely to speedily forget. Clew up the courses,
then let go the topsail-halliards, and double-reef the fore and
main-topsails, and, as you come down, stow the courses."

The men sprang aloft with alacrity to execute these duties; and, on
their return to the deck, sail was further shortened, until the barque
was under double-reefed topsails and fore-topmast staysail only; when
she wore round and stood directly for the disabled pirate schooner, the
long-gun being run forward and pointed out of the foremost port on the
lee-side, and the firing resumed.

In a very short time she was close to the schooner, round and round
which George proceeded deliberately to sail, maintaining a steady fire
upon her meanwhile.

The pirate schooner, however, though disabled, was by no means re