r told us."

Smellie looked at me in great surprise and perplexity for a moment.

"Upon my word, Hawkesley, I verily believe you are right!" he exclaimed
at last. "The _Black Venus_--a negress for a figure-head--ha! are you
hurt?"

"Not much, I think," stammered I, as I braced myself resolutely against
the wheel, determined that I would _not_ give in. The fact was, that
whilst we were talking another shot had been fired through the companion
doors, and had struck me fairly in the right shoulder, inflicting such
severe pain that for the moment I felt quite incapable of using my right
arm. Fortunately the schooner now steered pretty easily, and I could
manage the wheel with one hand.

"We must stop this somehow," said Smellie, again jumping on the rail and
taking a long look ahead.

"Do you see that very tall tree shooting up above the rest, almost
directly ahead?" he continued, pointing out the object as he turned to
me.

I replied that I did.

"Well, steer straight for it then, and I will fetch aft some hatch-
covers--there are several forward--and place them against the doors; I
think I can perhaps contrive to rig up a bullet-proof screen for you."

"But you are hurt yourself, sir," I protested.

"A mere graze after all, I believe," he replied lightly, and forthwith
set about the work of dragging aft the hatch-covers, six of which he
soon piled in front of the companion.

"There," he said, as he placed the last one in position, "I think you
are reasonably safe now; it was a pity we did not think of that before.
Shall I bind up your shoulder for you? You are bleeding, I see."

"No, thank you," I replied; "it is only a trifling scratch, I think, not
worth troubling about now. I would much rather you would go forward and
look out; it would never do to plump the schooner ashore now that we
have come so far. Besides, there are the men down forward; they ought
to be watched, or perhaps they may succeed in breaking out after all."

Smellie looked at me rather doubtfully for almost a full minute. "I
believe you are suffering a great deal of pain, Hawkesley," he said;
"but you are a thoroughly plucky fellow; and if you can only keep up
until we get clear of this confounded creek I will then relieve you.
And I will take care, too, to let Captain Vernon know how admirably you
have conducted yourself, not only to-night, but from the moment that we
left the _Daphne_ together. Now I am going forward to see that