no wonder it didn't go off. Why, that's the way to sarve one o'
them breeches-loaders. You don't put a cartridge ball first into the
muzzle of a gun."

"Why, no!" cried Mr Preddle, colouring like a girl. "How stupid!"

"And we shall have a job to unload her," growled Bob.

But his attention was directly after taken up by the management of the
ship, for the wind held on, and by night we had left the boats down
below the horizon line, invisible to us even from the mast-head.

That proved an anxious time, for the wind sank soon after sunset, and a
careful watch had to be kept, both for the boats, and against our enemy
the fire, which kept on showing that there was still some danger in the
hold.

The next morning dawned with the boats in sight again, and their crews
were evidently straining every nerve to overtake us, for it was once
more a dead calm.

We were more hopeful though, for a couple more applications of the hose
had pretty well extinguished the fire; the cannon had been unloaded and
properly charged; and, best of all, Mr Frewen's patients were all
better, and Mr Brymer sufficiently well to sit up in a chair, and be
brought on deck to take his place as captain, to my intense relief.

The cook had quietly gone to his galley, and then acted as steward as
well, so that while the boats were still miles away, we had the best
breakfast we had been provided with for many days. And, after this,
quite ready for our enemies, and well furnished with weapons, we waited
their coming.

I obtained a glass from the captain's cabin, my principal officer
telling me to keep it as long as I liked, on condition that I kept
reporting to him the state of affairs on deck.

"Everyone is very kind," he said sadly; "but I spend a great many
anxious hours here, longing to hear how things are going on, and if it
were not for Miss Denning, my position would be ten times worse."

I hurried out with the glass, focussed it on the boats, and watched the
men for long enough. The forces had been equalised by four men being
sent out of Jarette's boat to take the places of the men who had
returned to their allegiance, and, as I watched them, I could see that
as they slaved away at the oars, their leader kept jumping up with a
pistol in his hand, to throw himself about wildly, stamping,
gesticulating, and pointing to the ship, as if he were urging the crews
on.

I was not the only one who used a glass, for there was nothing to do now