lack, were making a furious attack on Tom
Marline, who had the helm, while Paul Pringle stood by defending him
with a boat's stretcher. Neither Pringle nor Marline had arms, while
two of the Frenchmen and the black had dirks, and the third Frenchman,
as Fid knew, had pistols. Fid immediately handed a brace of pistols and
a dirk to True Blue, and together they rushed aft. Paul saw them
coming, but the Frenchmen did not. One of them had cocked his pistol,
and was taking a deliberate aim at Paul, when True Blue, who at that
instant had reached the quarterdeck, lifted his arm and fired.

The Frenchman staggered a few paces, fired his pistol in the air, and
then fell to the deck. To prevent his companions from seizing his
weapons, Fid drew them from his pocket and bolted off with them round
the deck. Before, however, the smoke of the pistol which True Blue had
fired had cleared off, he had sprung to the side of Paul Pringle and
handed him the remaining pistol and a dirk. Paul on this sprang on the
Frenchmen.

The black was the first to fly. The other two men, finding themselves
clearly overmatched, retreated forward and gained the fore-hatchway. It
was blowing fresh, so that Marline was afraid if he left the wheel the
brig would broach to. Consequently only Paul and True Blue pursued the
Frenchmen. One of them leaped down the fore-hatchway. As he did so a
pistol-shot was heard, and Fid immediately afterwards appeared at the
same place, exclaiming:

"I've done for the fellow--settle the other two!"

Fid held a pistol in his hand. The black saw it, and sprang at the boy
to seize it; but True Blue, who saw it also, was too quick for him, and
had got hold of it just before the negro reached the spot. Fid sprang
out of his way; and so eager had he been, that he pitched head-forward
down the hatchway.

The last Frenchman attempted to defend himself; but when he saw Paul and
the two lads with arms in their hands approaching him, while his
companions were unable to assist him, he knew that resistance was
useless and cried out for quarter.

"You don't deserve it, Monsieur Crapaud," answered Paul; "but I'm not
the fellow to take a man's life in cold blood. Howsomdever, there's one
thing I'll take, and that is, good care you don't attempt to play us
such a trick again. Here, Billy, hand me that coil of rope. We'll keep
him out of harm for the present."

Saying this, while True Blue stood by presenting a pistol