"I believe we've
brought down two."

"But they keep on shooting," said the captain, as another arrow came on
board not far from the spot where they were sheltering, "and I can't say
I want to have one of those things sticking into me."

"What shall we do then?" said the mate.

"Here, you," cried the captain to one of the men, "go and tell the cook
to stick the poker in the galley fire."

The man went on all fours along the deck nearly as actively as a dog,
and his fellows laughingly cheered him, even the captain smiling grimly
before turning once more to the mate.

"Get one of those little flannel bags of powder and load the brass gun.
You can point her towards where the blackguards are, and she'll go off
with such a roar that it may startle them and send them paddling for
their lives."

"Maybe it will," said the mate gruffly; "but I doubt it."

"Never mind your doubts, my lad. It won't cost much to try. I don't
suppose they ever heard a cannon fired in their lives, and they'll think
we've got the thunder to help us. We'll run a double charge in: the
brass gun will stand it."

"Suppose she bursts?" said the mate rather sourly.

"Suppose?" said the captain sharply. "There, you do what I tell you.
If she does burst I shall have fired her, and she'll kill me, and you'll
be skipper, so you're all right."

"No, I shan't," said the mate gruffly, "for she'll kill me. I'm going
to fire her myself."

"Load her then," said the captain, chuckling, "and don't go on setting a
mutinous example to the men. Squire Brace looks quite startled."

The mate smiled grimly and went below, to return with a couple of little
flannel bags and crawl with them to where the little signal cannon was
lashed to the deck.

Brace followed, preferring to assist in the preparation of this
experiment to firing in the direction of naked savages.

"Here, I shall be having all the skin rubbed off my knees," said the
mate, nodding at Brace. "Nature never meant me to go along like a
four-footed beast."

"It is awkward," said Brace, smiling.

"Awkward isn't the word for it," grumbled the mate. "Got your knife
handy?"

Brace nodded, and drew it from his pocket, and the mate slit open one of
the bags so as to pour about half its contents into the mouth of the
little cannon.

"It's all very fine of the skipper to talk," he said, placing the whole
cartridge now in its place, "but I'm very fond of the first mate of the
`Jason' brig,