l go;" and Dan led her to the door of her cabin.

She entered, and threw herself upon the cushions of the berth, and Dan,
satisfied that she was in a place of comparative safety, turned his
attention to the defence of his party.

"Can you handle a gun?" said he, turning to Quin, who appeared to be as
cool and resolute as the skipper.

"Well, I done shoot some," replied Quin.

"Take a gun, then."

"Wha--wha--wha----" gasped Cyd.

"Silence, Cyd! Keep both eyes on the sails, or I'll put a bullet through
your head. I didn't expect you would be a coward at such a time as
this."

"Dis chile ain't a coward," answered Cyd, rising from his seat.

"Sit down, and mind your helm then!"

"Give me de gun, and I'll show you Cyd ain't no coward, no how."

"You never fired a gun in your life. You would be more likely to shoot
yourself than any body else. Mind your helm; that's all we want of you."

"Possifus! Dis chile ain't no coward, no how," growled Cyd, as he cast
his eyes at the sails. "Fire away dar, and show dese folks Cyd's no
coward!"

"Gwine to fire into dem folks in de boat?" asked Quin.

"I am, if occasion requires," replied Dan, as he discharged the gun he
held in his hand in the direction of the pursuers. "But I want to let
them know that we are armed, and able to give as good as they send. I
don't want to kill any of them if I can help it."

"I don't mind killin ob 'em; dat's what dey done do to me if dey gits a
chance."

"Stop your boat!" shouted one of the men again; and it was evident, from
the tones of the speaker, that the report of the gun from the Isabel was
not altogether favorable to the views of the pursuers.

Dan made no reply, but loaded up his gun for further use.

"Stop your boat, or we'll fire into you again," shouted the speaker.

"If you do you will get as good as you send," answered Dan, as he put
the cap upon his piece.

The reply was followed by another shot from the slave-hunters; but the
ball whistled far above the heads of the fugitives. Dan took deliberate
aim at the boat, and fired, ordering Quin to do the same. So far as
they could discover, neither of the shots took effect. From this time
both parties kept up an occasional firing; but as the night was so dark,
and the motion of the boats not favorable to a steady aim, no one in the
Isabel was hit, and Dan and his companion were not aware of any
different result to the other boat.

Cyd maintained his position at the helm