ee of the party.

"Yes, it's all very well to say `Ay, ay,' and talk about lanterns and
daylight," growled Tom Tully; "but I don't like going off and leaving
one's work half done. I want to have a go at that chap as fetched me a
crack with a handspike, and I shan't feel happy till I have; so now
then, my lads."

"What's the good o' being obst'nit, Tommy?" said his leader. "No one
wants to stop you from giving it to him as hit you, only just tell me
where he is."

"That ar'n't my job, Billy Waters," cried the big fellow; "that's your
job. You leads, and I does the fighting. Show him to me and I'll make
him that sore as he shall wish he'd stopped at home."

"Come on, then, and let's get the lanterns, and come back then," said
the gunner. "It ar'n't no use to be knocking ourselves about here in
the dark. Come on."

He tried to lead the way back as they had come, each man cutlass in
hand, and well on the alert in case of attack; but nothing interposed to
stop them as they scrambled and clambered over the rocks till they got
to the open shore once more, just as, in front of them and out in the
pitchy blackness, there was a flash, a report, and then the wall of
darkness closed up once more.

"Oh! ah, we're a-coming," said Billy Waters, who, now that the
excitement was over, began to feel very sore, while his companions got
along very slowly, having a couple of sorely-beaten men to help.
"Anybody make out the ship's lights?"

"I can see one on 'em," growled Tully.

"And where's our boat?" cried the gunner. "Jim Tanner, ahoy!"

"Ahoy!" came in a faint voice from a distance.

"There he is," said Billy Waters. "Come, my lads, look alive, or we
shall have the skipper firing away more o' my powder. I wish him and
Jack Brown would let my guns alone. Now then, Jim Tanner, where away?"

"Ahoy!" came again in a faint voice, and stumbling on through the
darkness, they came at last upon the boatkeeper, tied neck and heels,
and lying in the sand.

"Who done this?" cried the gunner.

"I dunno," said the man; "only cast me loose, mates."

This was soon done, the man explaining that a couple of figures suddenly
jumped upon him out of the darkness, and bound him before he could stand
on his defence.

"Why, you was asleep, that's what you was," cried the gunner angrily.
"Nice job we've made of it. My! ar'n't it dark? Now, then, where's
this here boat? Bring them two wounded men along. D'yer hear?"

"Oh, it ar