to have gained possession of the greater part of the ship.
Among those who formed the boarding-party was Dillon, who showed as much
alacrity as any one. He was soon in the midst of the fight, attacking
the boarders of the other ship with desperate fury. The leader of the
latter was dressed in a fantastic manner, to give ferocity to his
appearance. He was soon crossing blades with Dillon.

"These fellows are pirates!" shouted Captain Olding. "Cut them down;
give them no quarter--a reward for the man who gets hold of their
leader!"

Dillon and his antagonist had made several cuts at each other, which had
been parried with equal skill by both, when the pirate, hearing what
Captain Olding shouted out, sprang back apparently to regain his own
ship. Dillon, instead of attempting to stop him, warded off a blow
aimed at him by another man, and thus enabled the pirate, with a
considerable number of his followers, to leap on board his own vessel.
The lashings which held her to the _Ouzel Galley_ were at the same
moment cut, and before the British seamen could follow she dropped from
alongside. Her helm was then put up, and her head-sails filling, she
ran off before the wind.

Gerald grasped Owen's hand. "Faith, you've had a narrow escape!" he
exclaimed.

"Indeed, we have," answered Owen; "and, I fear, have lost a large number
of our crew. Had you not come up, we should every one of us been
killed."

"Where are Miss Ferris and her father?" asked Norman Foley, turning
round to Owen, whom he now recognised.

"They are safe, I trust, below, and will be glad to see you and hear
that they have no longer cause for apprehension," answered Owen. "I
have too many duties on deck to go."

The lieutenant sprang below, just at the moment that Captain Olding
ordered the crew of the corvette to return on board and the
grappling-irons to be cast loose.

"We must chase the pirate and punish him for his audacity," he
exclaimed.

It was some time, however, before the order could be obeyed and the
corvette got clear of the merchantman. Gerald had remained on board.
"I ought to tell Mr Foley, or he will be left with you," he said; and
he followed his lieutenant below. Before he returned on deck the ships
were clear, and the corvette was making sail to go in chase of the
pirate.

Owen had persuaded Mr Ferris and Ellen to go into the hold, to which
they had been hurried when the first shot had been fired by the pirate.
Owen ha