begrudging the time needful to hoist it. The men were sliding to the
deck on backstays and running-gear, and the mates were throwing down
coils of rope from the belaying-pins.

"Man both main clue-garnets, some o' you!" yelled the captain. "Clue
up! Weather main-braces, the rest o' you! Slack away to looward! Round
wi' the yards, you farmers--round wi' 'em! Down wi' the wheel, there!
Bring her up three points and hold her. H----l an' blazes, what's he
firin' on me for?"

Excitedly, the men obeyed him; they were not used to gun fire, and it
is certainly exciting to be shot at. Conspicuous among them was
Johnson, who pulled and hauled lustily, shouting exuberantly the
formless calls which sailors use in pulling ropes, and smiling
sardonically. In five minutes from the time of the second gun the yards
were backed, and, with weather leeches trembling, the ship lay "hove
to," drifting bodily to leeward. The cruiser had stopped her headway,
and a boat had left her side. There were ten men at the oars, a
cockswain at the yoke-ropes, and with him in the stern-sheets a young
man in an ensign's uniform, who lifted his voice as the boat neared the
lee quarter, and shouted: "Rig a side-ladder aboard that ship!"

He was hardly more than a boy, but he was obeyed; not only the
side-ladder, but the gangway steps were rigged; and leaving the
cockswain and bow oarsman to care for the boat, the young officer
climbed aboard, followed by the rest--nine muscular man-of-war's-men,
each armed with cutlass and pistol, one of them carrying a hand-bag,
another a bundle. Captain Bacon, as became his position, remained upon
the poop to receive his visitor, while the two mates stood at the main
fife-rail, and the ship's crew clustered forward. Johnson, alert and
attentive, stood a little in the van, and the man in the lee scuppers
still washed clothes.

"What's the matter, young man?" asked the captain from the break of the
poop, with as much of dignity as his recent agitation would permit.
"Why do you stop my ship on the high seas and board her with an armed
boat's crew?"

"You have an officer and seaman of the navy on board this ship,"
answered the ensign, who had been looking about irresolutely. "Produce
them at once, if you please."

"What--what----" stuttered the captain, descending the poop steps; but
before more was said there was a sound from forward as of something
hard striking something heavy, and as they looked, they saw Captain