. Long Tom was quickly loaded; two
shots crashed into the slaver, and three went over her. She replied
with a broadside of four guns, but one shot only struck the
_Supplejack_, knocking away one of the after-stanchions.

Jack now ordered more sail to be set, and shooting across the bows of
the enemy, his two carronades and Long Tom were fired simultaneously.
This raking fire threw the slaver's crew into considerable confusion,
and before they had recovered from it, he again kept away. In the
meantime the two schooners ranged up on the larboard quarter of the
enemy, had begun blazing away with their popguns. Thus far, Jack had
evidently the best of it, and he would have been wise had he kept at a
distance, and fired away with Long Tom.

The slaver's crew, encouraged by their officers, returned to their guns,
and began blazing away with far greater effect than at first, but as
they fired high, no one on deck was hurt. Their shot began to inflict
considerable damage on the rigging, and at length the slings of the
fore-topsail-yard being shot away, down came the topsail, while the
other headsails were completely riddled. In vain Needham did his best
to retaliate on the enemy. Jack saw him binding a handkerchief round
his arm, though still working his gun. Three other men were wounded by
shot or splinters, and one poor fellow sank on the deck to rise no more.
Matters were indeed looking somewhat serious. Just then the slaver put
up her helm; Jack saw what she was about, but was unable to avoid her.

"Repel boarders!" he sang out, and in another minute the bows of the
black brig crashed against the side of the _Supplejack_, the flukes of
the enemy's anchors catching in the fore-rigging of the latter. Her
crew, however, had just time to fire their carronades, sending several
of the enemy to their last account, when nearly thirty fierce-looking
ruffians, with cutlass in hand, came crowding to the bows of the brig,
ready to spring on board. Jack and most of his people ran forward to
repel them. The Spanish captain fought bravely, although driven back,
again leading on his men, he made another desperate effort to get on
board the _Supplejack_.

Bevan and the master, in the meantime, were not idle, but as they could
bring one of their guns to bear without running the risk of hitting the
_Supplejack_, they kept firing into the enemy. The effect of their fire
was to lessen the number of the boarders, several of the s