ontinued
pumping after it for a shorter period.

David, at last, caught sight of the vessel Harry had seen, and was also
of opinion that she was approaching them. The hope of being saved,
which had never died, now grew stronger and stronger. Now, as the wreck
was lifted up the side of a sea, or the stranger mounted a foaming
billow, her whole hull was visible, and they saw she was a long, low
black schooner. Even at that distance Harry did not like her
appearance. To satisfy himself he went to the companion hatch, inside
of which a telescope was hung up. With it both he and David took a more
exact examination of the stranger, and came to the same conclusion.

"She is not an English craft, of that I am certain," observed Harry.
"She may be a privateer, but is more like those rascally pirates who
infest the West Indies and African coast, and used to be found down on
the Spanish main; she has a large crew, too, I see. Now, I suspect, if
we were to get aboard her the fellows would make us join them or walk
the plank. Still, it might be better to pretend to enter on board than
to go down with this wreck. What do you say?"

"If yonder craft is of the character you fancy, I say let us stick to
the wreck; but we will ask old Jefferies what he thinks about it--we
wouldn't leave him on any account; at the same time, if he wishes to go,
I should say that we ought to go."

"I agree with you," answered Harry. "Let us pump away till she gets
nearer, and then we will go and consult Jefferies."

The schooner approached, and a nearer view only confirmed the boys in
their opinion of her character. Why she came near the wreck it was
difficult to say. Another look through the spy-glass showed them a
number of men on board and several guns on her deck.

"I do not suppose they will trouble themselves about us unless we hail
them, and then, perhaps, they might endeavour to take us off the wreck,
but I am not quite certain about it," observed Harry. They were
standing while speaking inside the companion hatch, with their heads
just above it.

The schooner was coming up fast. Suddenly the ports nearest them were
opened, wreaths of smoke burst forth, and several shots whistled close
above their heads, one going through the bulwarks and ploughing up the
deck. Their impulse was to jump below. They could do nothing to help
themselves, but they hoped that the strangers would not continue to make
a target of them.

Jefferies