n reverberating with many echoes along the
rocks.

Before the sounds had ceased Don Ramon had sprung upon his mule, to turn
smiling with a comprehensive wave of his hand to the trio, and then
cantered off amongst the rugged stones, while they watched him till he
reached the battery of field-pieces and sprang off to throw the rein to
one of his men.

"That shot was the opening of the ball," said the skipper. "Now, my
lads, back aboard the schooner, to make our arrangements, Poole, for
keeping my word with the Don if he and his people have to run."

"No!" burst out both the boys in a breath.

"No?" cried the skipper good-humouredly. "What do you mean? This isn't
going to be a show. You don't want to stop and see the fight?"

"Not want to stop and see it?" cried Fitz excitedly.

"Well, I am not fond of fighting, father," said Poole, "but I do. I
want to see Don Ramon win."

"Humph!" grunted the skipper. "Well, you must be disappointed. As for
you, Mr Burnett, the sooner you are out of reach of bullets the
better."

"Well," cried Fitz, "I like that--coming from the skipper of a trading
schooner! Do you know what I am?"

"Of course," was the answer, with a smile.

"It doesn't seem like it," cried Fitz. "I know I am almost a boy
still--Don't laugh, Poole!" he added sharply, with a stamp of the
foot--"Well, quite a boy; but young as I am, I am a naval officer, and I
was never taught that it was my duty to run away if ever I came under
fire."

"It's the safest way," said the skipper mockingly. "`He who fights and
runs away, will live to fight another day.' That's it, isn't it?"

"I suppose so," said Fitz, getting on his stilts--"to be laughed at for
a coward as long as he lives. Look here, Captain Reed, I am your
prisoner, but you are not my captain, and I mean to stop and see this
fight. Why, I must. I shall have to tell. Captain Glossop all about
this some day, and I should look well if I owned that I had run away.--
But you don't mean it, sir. It's all nonsense to talk of being in
danger up here, all this distance off. Yes, he is joking, isn't he,
Poole?"

"Well, there's not much joke about it, my lad," said the skipper
gravely. "I must own that I don't want to go away myself. Seems to me
that what we ought to do is to hurry back to where the women are, get a
good supply of linen and bandages from them, and muster some bearers
for--Yes, the firing is going on, and I don't suppose that it w