, we could not possibly judge how we were steering.
In spite of the stifling atmosphere, our senses were wide awake. Again
there came the sound of a gun. Although the shot did not strike the
ship, yet it seemed to us that our pursuer must be nearer. Another and
another shot followed. The "Vulture's" guns were now fired, although I
was surprised to find how little noise they appeared to make, and could
scarcely believe that they were fired from our deck, had not Tubbs
assured us of the fact. Then there came a lull, and we heard a whole
broadside fired, the crashing and rending sound showing that the shot
had torn through the bulwarks and sides of the ship. The fearful
shrieks which rose from the hold made us fear that the miserable slaves
had suffered, though perhaps their cries rose from terror as much as
from the injuries they had received. A fearful uproar ensued, the roar
of the great guns, the rattle of musketry, the shouts of the slaver's
crew, the shrieks and cries of the slaves, the groans of the wounded,
the rending and crashing of planks mingled, were well-nigh deafening
even to us. Presently there came a crash. The ship seemed to reel, a
shudder passed through her whole frame.

"They've run us aboard," cried Tubbs, "and maybe the ship with all hands
will be sent to the bottom. We must get out of this somehow to try and
save our lives. There will be no one on the look-out to stop us."

The boatswain's exclamations made us fear that probably our last moments
were at hand.

"We must try and find something to help us to force our way out," cried
Tubbs. "If we cannot get the hatch off, we must make our way through
this bulkhead. Hurrah! here's an iron bar."

As he spoke, Harry and I laid hold of it to be sure that he was not
mistaken. How it came there, of course we could not tell.

"Now, keep behind me, that I may have room to use it," he exclaimed.

We obeyed and he commenced a furious attack on the bulkhead. The crash
which followed showed that he had succeeded in driving in some of the
planking. He worked away with the fury of despair, fully believing that
ere long the ship would be sent to the bottom. The noise he made
prevented our hearing what was going forward on deck; indeed, all sounds
were undistinguishable by this time.

"There is room to pass now," he cried.

He led the way through an opening he had formed. We followed him, but
still found that there was another bulkhead befor