parley, the fellows crept into the little cabin, each
fingering his naked weapon, which made me feel very sick with
apprehension of bloodshed. The air of wind freshening, we kept on at a
spanking rate for another hour, Groves lying on the deck with his eyes
just over the bulwarks and giving orders to Dawson and me, who kept the
helm; then the galley, being within a quarter of a mile of us, fired a
shot as a signal to us to haul down our sail, and this having no effect,
he soon after fires another, which, striking us in the stern, sent great
splinters flying up from the bulwarks there.

"Hold her helm, stiff," whispers Groves, and then he backs cautiously
into the cabin without rising from his belly, for the men aboard the
galley were now clearly distinguishable.

Presently bang goes another gun, and the same moment, its shot taking
our mast a yard or so above the deck, our lateen falls over upon the
water with a great slap, and so are we brought to at once.

Dropping her sail, the galley sweeps up alongside us, and casting out
divers hooks and tackle they held ready for their purpose, they grappled
us securely. My heart sank within me as I perceived the number of our
enemies, thirty or forty, as I reckon (but happily not above half a
dozen armed men), and Mohand ou Mohand amongst them with a scimitar in
his hand; for now I foresaw the carnage which must ensue when we were
boarded.

Mohand ou Mohand was the first to spring upon our deck, and behind came
his janizaries and half a score of seamen. We four, Mr. Godwin holding
Moll's hand in his, stood in a group betwixt Mohand and his men and the
cabin where Joe Groves lay with his fellows, biding his time. One of the
janizaries was drawing his scimitar, but Mohand bade him put it up, and
making an obeisance to Moll, he told us we should suffer no hurt if we
surrendered peaceably.

"Never, you Turkish thief!" cries Dawson, shaking his fist at him.

Mohand makes a gesture of regret, and turning to his men tells them to
take us, but to use no weapons, since we had none. Then, he himself
leading, with his eyes fixed hungrily upon Moll, the rest came on, and
we fell back towards the cabin.

The next instant, with a wild yell of fury, the hidden men burst out of
the cabin, and then followed a scene of butchery which I pray Heaven it
may nevermore be my fate to witness.

Groves was the first to spill blood. Leaping upon Mohand, he buried a
long curved knife right up to