k the
mistico amidships, tearing away her gunnel, and creating the greatest
confusion on board, if not destruction of life. She found that, in her
eagerness, she had gone rather too far, and putting down her helm, she
gave a last revengeful broadside at her tiny chase, as she hauled her
wind, and away she stood on a bowline towards the island.

No sooner had she done so, than up sprung a figure in the stern sheets
of the boat; and waving a cap round in his hand, seemed to be giving a
cheer of derision. The incautious action was returned by the pirates
with a discharge of their swivel guns, and a shower of musketry, and he
dropped into the bottom of the boat.

"Poor fellow! the villains have killed him," exclaimed Mr Saltwell.

"Yes, sir; and I'm sorry to say I think from the figure it is Jack Raby.
It is just the thing he would do, too," said Tompion, whose glass had
been fixed on the boat at the time. "No--hurrah! the boat is standing
on steadily with some one at the helm."

"Thank Heaven! so she is," exclaimed Saltwell. "Be ready there to heave
the ship to, to let the boat come alongside."

In five minutes more the brig was close up to the boat, and, to the
surprise of all, the person in the stern sheets, who had been so long
visible, was found to be a stuffed figure, covered with a _capote_, and
a Greek cap on the top of it, while the head of Jack Raby was seen
cautiously peering above the gunnel. He very soon brought the boat
alongside, when a couple of hands jumped in to assist him.

"What, Raby, my good fellow, who have you there?" exclaimed the master,
who was standing at the gangway with several of the midshipmen, eager to
welcome their messmate.

"I am sorry to say it is the captain, who is very badly hurt; but I was
glad to get him off at any rate, for we've had a narrow escape of our
lives," replied Raby, from the boat.

This announcement was received with an expression of grief from all on
board. Saltwell, on hearing it, sprang to the gangway, to superintend
the transfer of the captain to the deck, which was managed by lowering
his own cot into the boat, and hoisting him up in it. He was somewhat
revived, though he was scarcely sensible of what was occurring; and when
he was carried below, all waited anxiously to hear the surgeon's report.
In this anxiety about getting the captain on board, the mistico was for
the time entirely forgotten; and when at last Saltwell thought of her,
and ordered