deepened color showed that
the spirit boiled within almost as wildly as the ocean raged around him.

The center of the shoal was gained, and a feeling of hope and exultation
began to rise in the breasts of the crew, when a terrific shock caused
the little schooner to quiver from stem to stern, while an involuntary
cry burst from the men, many of whom were thrown violently on the deck.
At the same time a shot from the Talisman came in through the stern
bulwarks, struck the wheel, and carried it away, with part of the tackle
attached to the tiller.

"Another leap like that, lass, and you're over," cried Gascoyne, with a
light smile, as he sprang to the iron tiller, and, seizing it with his
strong hands, steered the schooner as if she had been a boat.

"Get new tackle rove, Scraggs," said he cheerfully. "I'll keep her
straight for Eel's Gate with _this_. That was the first bar of the gate;
there are only two altogether, and the second won't be so bad."

As the captain spoke, the schooner seemed to recover from the shock, and
again rushed forward on her foaming course; but before the men had time
to breathe, she struck again,--this time less violently, as had been
predicted,--and the next wave lifting her over the shoals, launched her
into deep water.

"There, that will do," said Gascoyne, resigning the helm to Scraggs.
"You can keep her as she goes: there's plenty of water now, and no fear
of that big bully following us. Meanwhile, I will go below, and see to
the welfare of our passengers."

Gascoyne was wrong in supposing that the Talisman would not follow. She
could not indeed follow in the same course; but the moment that Mulroy
observed that the pirate had passed the shoals in safety, he stood
inshore, and, without waiting to pick up the gig, traversed the channel
by which they had entered the bay. Then, trusting to the lead and to his
knowledge of the general appearance of shallows, he steered carefully
along until he cleared the reefs, and finally stood out to sea.

In less than half an hour afterwards, the party on shore beheld the two
vessels disappear among the black storm-clouds that gathered over the
distant horizon.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE GOAT'S PASS--AN ATTACK, A BLOODLESS VICTORY, AND A SERMON.

When Ole Thorwald was landed at the foot of that wild gorge in the
cliffs which have been designated the Goat's Pass, he felt himself to be
an aggrieved man, and growled accordingly.

"It's too bad