he gun had not changed a particle. As the dark outline
of the Vampire passed in range of the selected tree, the midshipman
sprang down from the gun-carriage.

"Fire!" shouted he, in a determined though not very loud tone.

It was a tremendous explosion, and the echoes rolled out from the hills
as though they were armed with heavy guns, and were taking part in the
conflict. Probably the rattling windows and the shaking frames of the
houses roused all the sleepers within a mile of the ship.

The Bellevite was enveloped in the smoke from the discharge, and though
Christy mounted the carriage again to obtain a better view, he could see
nothing, for there was not wind enough to sweep it away at once. But the
young commander watched, with almost as much interest and anxiety as
before, the signal station he had established. But there was no occasion
for desperate haste, for the gun was ready for use a second time if the
first shot had failed to do its work. On the other hand, if the Vampire
was disabled, she would stay where she was, or drift down the river with
the turn of the tide, and it was just about "full sea" at this time.

The smoke was very aggravating to the midshipman, but he could not help
himself. The light air swept it away in time, and, with his strained
eyes, Christy discovered that two Roman candles were burning at the
signal station.

"Did you hit her, Christy?" asked Paul Vapoor, leaping on the
gun-carriage.

"I did," replied the midshipman, trying to control a certain feeling of
exultation that took possession of his mind, for he did not consider
that some of the party below might have been killed by the shot.

"I suppose you don't know anything about the effect of the shot yet?"
added Paul.

"I only know that the Vampire is disabled."

"How do you know that, for I can't see anything?"

"Do you see those two blue lights burning at the side of the river?"
asked Christy, as he pointed to the place.

"I see them, and they light up the river like a flash of lightning."

"They mean that the steamer is disabled; and for that reason she can't
come any nearer than she is now."

"But those villains will make their way to the shore, and there are
boats enough about here to enable them to get alongside, and lay us
aboard. This is not the end of the affair," said the engineer, very
seriously.

"Decidedly not; but I hope to have further information in the course of
a few minutes," replied Christy.

"B