ay, the boat with Frere and the
soldiers came within musket range, and Lesly, according to orders,
fired his musket over their heads, shouting to them to lay to But Frere,
boiling with rage at the manner in which the tables had been turned on
him, had determined not to resign his lost authority without a struggle.
Disregarding the summons, he came straight on, with his eyes fixed on
the vessel. It was now nearly dark, and the figures on the deck were
indistinguishable. The indignant lieutenant could but guess at the
condition of affairs. Suddenly, from out of the darkness a voice hailed
him--

"Hold water! back water!" it cried, and was then seemingly choked in its
owner's throat.

The voice was the property of Mr. Bates. Standing near the side, he had
observed Rex and Fair bring up a great pig of iron, erst used as part of
the ballast of the brig, and poise it on the rail. Their intention was
but too evident; and honest Bates, like a faithful watch-dog, barked
to warn his master. Bloodthirsty Cheshire caught him by the throat, and
Frere, unheeding, ran the boat alongside, under the very nose of the
revengeful Rex. The mass of iron fell half in-board upon the now stayed
boat, and gave her sternway, with a splintered plank.

"Villains!" cried Frere, "would you swamp us?"

"Aye," laughed Rex, "and a dozen such as ye! The brig's ours, can't ye
see, and we're your masters now!"

Frere, stifling an exclamation of rage, cried to the bow to hook on, but
the bow had driven the boat backward, and she was already beyond arm's
length of the brig. Looking up, he saw Cheshire's savage face, and
heard the click of the lock as he cocked his piece. The two soldiers,
exhausted by their long pull, made no effort to stay the progress of the
boat, and almost before the swell caused by the plunge of the mass of
iron had ceased to agitate the water, the deck of the Osprey had become
invisible in the darkness.

Frere struck his fist upon the thwart in sheer impotence of rage. "The
scoundrels!" he said, between his teeth, "they've mastered us. What do
they mean to do next?"

The answer came pat to the question. From the dark hull of the brig
broke a flash and a report, and a musket ball cut the water beside
them with a chirping noise. Between the black indistinct mass which
represented the brig, and the glimmering water, was visible a white
speck, which gradually neared them.

"Come alongside with ye!" hailed a voice, "or it will be