ng to the pale,
expectant people on the _Summer Shelter_. If he should reach them, not
only would he be saved, but they could steam away to peace and safety.

On swam Shirley, evenly and steadily, until he had nearly passed half
the distance between the two vessels, when suddenly a knot of men were
seen looking over the rail of the _Dunkery_. Then there was a commotion.
Then a man was seen standing up high, a gun in his hand. Willy uttered a
stifled scream, and Mrs. Cliff seized her companion by the arm with such
force that her nails nearly entered the flesh, and almost in the same
instant there rang out from the yacht the report of eight rifles.

Every man had fired at the fellow with the gun, even Burdette in the
pilot house. Some of the balls had gone high up into the rigging, and
some had rattled against the hull of the steamer, but the man with the
gun disappeared in a flash. Whether he had been hit or frightened,
nobody knew. Shirley, startled at this tremendous volley, turned a
quick backward glance and then dived, but soon reappeared again,
striking out as before for the yacht.

"Now, then," shouted Burke, "keep your eyes on the rail of that steamer!
If a man shows his head, fire at it!"

If this action had been necessary, very few of the rifles in the hands
of the members of the late Synod would have been fired, for most of them
did not know how to recharge their weapons. But there was no need even
for Burke to draw a bead on a pirate head, for now not a man could be
seen on the _Dunkery Beacon_. They had evidently been so surprised and
astounded by a volley of rifle shots from this pleasure yacht, which
they had supposed to be as harmless as a floating log, that every man on
deck had crouched behind the bulwarks.

Now Burke gave orders to steam slowly forward, and for everybody to keep
covered as much as possible; and when in a few minutes the yacht's
engine stopped and Shirley swam slowly around her stern, there was a
rush to the other side of the deck, a life preserver was dropped to the
swimmer, steps were let down, and the next minute Shirley was on deck,
Burke's strong arm fairly lifting him in over the rail. In a few moments
the deck of the yacht was the scene of wild and excited welcome and
delight. Each person on board felt as if a brother had suddenly been
snatched from fearful danger and returned to their midst.

"I can't tell you anything now," said Shirley. "Give me a dram, and let
me get on