hips so freely that the crews were driven
below, leaving on deck only enough to navigate the vessels.

Throughout the two squadrons various fortunes befell the ships. The
Steady had fared somewhat worse than the Emma. Commander Temperance was
badly wounded, and had not the signal to cut adrift been given in the
very niche of time, the good ship might have been captured. The
Wholesome was badly damaged by the Cigarette and Smoke, and her captain,
Lustyhealth, was carried below sorely hurt. One of the Stygian vessels,
the Despair, was sunk by the Hope. Its captain, Master Strangle, got off
on one of the boats, however, much to the sorrow of Commander Fluke who
tried hard to lay hold of the rogue. The Tattle was captured along with
its master, Backbite, by Commander Takeheed of the Kind. This miserable,
sneaking Pixie was lashed to a mast of his own ship, and as the Kind
towed the Tattle through the Brownie fleet he was greeted everywhere
with groans and jeers by the true-hearted sailors. They were not used to
treat prisoners after this fashion, but had small compunction in the
case of this fellow Backbite.

As for the rest of the ships, it must be enough to say that all the
officers and crews did their duty well. Special mention may be made of
Boatswain Pipe. Even before the signal to cut adrift had been hoisted
upon the Pixie flag-ship, Pipe had so closely pressed the Doubt, that
its master, Captain Shallow, had already cut off his grapnels, and was
in full flight toward Big Cave Harbor.

The Ken followed peppering her adversary with david shot. But Pipe soon
saw that the Doubt would slip away from him, and gave up the pursuit,
returned to the fight, ran his ship alongside the Despair, leaped upon
her deck at the head of his boarders, and fell upon the crew who were
engaged with the Hope. It was through this timely reinforcement and the
bravery of Pipe the Boatswain that Commander Fluke was able to sink the
Despair with all her crew, excepting the boat's crew that escaped with
Captain Strangle to the Tipple. Having finished this valiant service, he
pulled away in an open boat to the aid of the Wholesome, and by his
timely reinforcement saved that craft from the clutch of Captains Stunt
and Nicotine.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote AO: Appendix, Note A.]

CHAPTER XX.

A NAVAL MONSTER.

While these exciting events were occurring, Twadeils and his chums
having finished their "lark" were slowly picking their way t