lmost sinking with
terror, Julia listened with a scarce-beating heart to the increased
trampling of feet on deck, the oaths of the pirates, and the report of a
pistol; and when the murderer Longford, splashed with poor Burton's
blood, suddenly appeared before her, she uttered a wild shriek, and sank
senseless upon the cabin floor.

But vengeance was on its way, and close at hand. While the pirates were
busily engaged in murdering the unhappy crew of the Avon, which they did
not accomplish without considerable loss to themselves, for the gallant
fellows fought most desperately, the Hyperion hove in sight from behind
Fernandez, following the track of her consort. Captain Allerton had
heard the firing, and, suspecting all was not right, had "packed on" a
press of sail, and soon came within short musket-shot of the schooner,
whose hull received eight or ten round shot, but her sweeps and
superiority of sailing on a wind, enabled her to escape. Allerton then
steered for the brig, the disordered state of whose sails, her braces
loose and yards flying about as the wind and sea pleased, convinced him
that the pirates had been on board, and it was with a horrible dread of
what might have taken place that he drew near. When within half a mile
of the Avon, he saw a boat shove off from alongside, that a single look
at his glass convinced him contained none of the brig's crew. Satisfied
that they were part of the schooner's piratical crew, he sent all his
men forward armed with muskets, with orders to give them a volley as
soon as they came near enough to be sure of their mark. This was done,
and the next moment the boat was sunk by the ship passing over her, and
not one of the blood-stained wretches escaped. The Hyperion then
shortened sail, and hove to.

To return to the Avon's cabin. When Longford saw a lovely young woman
lying insensible before him, when he expected no such person's existence
on board, his better feelings prevailed--he thought of his mother, his
sisters, his home, and the bright prospects he had forever darkened by
his own folly and vice, and he leaned against the bulk-head in bitter
agony. He neither heard nor heeded the repeated calls of one of his
comrades, announcing the rapid approach of the Hyperion, his thoughts
were in a complete whirl, nor was he roused from his gloomy reflections
but by the voices of Allerton and his boat's crew, as they came
alongside. Then he started and ran up the companion-way, bu