hand, he stood
like a wild beast at bay. The pirates, when overpowered at other
points, rallied round him. Again and again Bruff attempted to pick him
out, in the hopes of cutting him down, but each time calling his men
around him, the pirate avoided the combat.

The pirates were, however, getting the worst of it. Several of them had
fallen, killed, or desperately wounded. Some of the English also had
been hurt, and two killed. Bruff, determining to put an end to the
conflict, once more dashed up the slope, and with his brave fellows,
leaping over all obstacles, pushed up to where the savage stood behind
the trunk of a fallen tree. Devereux was at his side, and Paul followed
close behind, armed with a pistol which had been given him by one of the
seamen. His great wish was, should opportunity occur, of being of use
to Devereux, just as he had been, on a former occasion, to poor old
Noakes. This was fiercer work, for quarter was neither asked nor taken.
The English among the pirates were the most desperate, for they knew
that they were fighting with halters round their throats. The pirate
plied his weapon with right good will, and kept Bruff fully occupied,
bestowing, indeed, more than one wound on him. Devereux was, meantime,
engaged with another fellow, evidently an officer by his gay dress and
ornaments. He also was a good swordsman; and while the English seamen
were engaged on either side, he managed to strike down Devereux's
cutlass, and would the next moment have cut him from the head to the
neck, when Paul, seeing that the moment for action had arrived,
springing forward, fired his pistol with so good an aim, that the
pirate, shot through the heart, sprang into the air and fell forward
over the tree, while Devereux, recovering his guard, saved his head from
the blow of the falling sword, which he sent flying away among the
pirates. At liberty for a moment, he turned on Bruff's antagonist, who,
unable to parry his rapid blows, was at length brought to the ground.
As he lay writhing in the agonies of death, he attempted to fire a
pistol, which he drew from his belt, at his victor's head; but his eye
was dim--the shot flew into the air, and his hand fell powerless by his
side. The pirates, though they still fought on, were evidently
disheartened at the fall of their leaders; but the English were
proportionately encouraged, and dashing on once more, they cut down
every pirate opposing them. Some attempte