a native canoe. The island itself was high enough to conceal
the Talisman completely from the natives until she was within half
gunshot of the shore.

Gascoyne still stood on the fore part of the ship as she neared this
spot, which was so beset with reefs and rocks that her escape seemed
miraculous.

"I think we are near enough for the work that we have to do," suggested
Montague, in some anxiety.

"Just about it, Mr. Montague," said Gascoyne, as he turned towards the
helm and shouted, "Port your helm."

"Port it is," answered the man at the wheel.

"Steady."

"Back the topsails, Mr. Mulroy."

The sails were backed at once, and the ship became motionless, with her
broadside to the village.

"What are we to do now, Mr. Gascoyne?" inquired Montague, smiling in
spite of himself at the strange position in which he found himself.

"Fire away at the village as hard as you can," replied Gascoyne,
returning the smile.

"What! do you really advise me to bombard a defenseless place, in which,
as far as I can see, there are none but women and children."

"Even so," returned the other, carelessly. "At the same time I would
advise you to give it them with a blank cartridge."

"And to what purpose such waste of powder?" inquired Montague.

"The furthering of the plans which I have been appointed to carry out,"
replied Gascoyne, somewhat stiffly, as he turned on his heel and walked
away.

The young captain reddened and bit his lip, as he gave the order to load
the guns with blank cartridge, and made preparation to fire this
harmless broadside on the village. The word to "fire" had barely crossed
his lips when the rocks around seemed to tremble with the crash of a
shot that came apparently from the other side of the island; for its
smoke was visible, although the vessel that discharged it was concealed
behind the point. The Talisman's broadside followed so quickly that the
two discharges were blended in one.

CHAPTER XIII.

DOINGS ON BOARD THE "FOAM."

The nature of this part of our story requires that we should turn back,
repeatedly, in order to trace the movements of the different parties
which cooeperated with each other.

While the warlike demonstrations we have described were being made by
the British cruiser, the crew of the Foam were not idle.

In consequence of the capture of Bumpus by the savages, Gascoyne's
message was, of course, not delivered to Manton, and the first mate of
the sandal-woo