Union Bay, there was nothing to
lead him to suppose that the island was or could be inhabited.

At eight o'clock, however, the colonists observed a movement on board
the _Speedy_. A boat was lowered, and seven men jumped into her. They
were armed with muskets: one took the yoke-lines, four others the oars,
and the two others, kneeling in the bows, ready to fire, reconnoitred
the island. Their object was no doubt to make an examination but not to
land, for in the latter case they would have come in larger numbers.
The pirates from their look-out could have seen that the coast was
sheltered by an islet, separated from it by a channel half a mile in
width. However, it was soon evident to Cyrus Harding, on observing the
direction followed by the boat, that they would not attempt to penetrate
into the channel, but would land on the islet.

Pencroft and Ayrton, each hidden in a narrow cleft of the rock, saw them
coming directly towards them, and waited till they were within range.

The boat advanced with extreme caution. The oars only dipped into the
water at long intervals. It could now be seen that one of the convicts
held a lead-line in his hand, and that he wished to fathom the depth of
the channel hollowed out by the current of the Mercy. This showed that
it was Bob Harvey's intention to bring his brig as near as possible to
the coast. About thirty pirates, scattered in the rigging, followed
every movement of the boat, and took the bearings of certain landmarks
which would allow them to approach without danger. The boat was not
more than two cables-lengths off the islet when she stopped. The man at
the tiller stood up and looked for the best place at which to land.

At that moment two shots were heard. Smoke curled up from among the
rocks of the islet. The man at the helm and the man with the lead-line
fell backwards into the boat. Ayrton's and Pencraft's balls had struck
them both at the same moment.

Almost immediately a louder report was heard, a cloud of smoke issued
from the brig's side, and a ball, striking the summit of the rock which
sheltered Ayrton and Pencroft, made it fly in splinters, but the two
marksmen remained unhurt.

Horrible imprecations burst from the boat, which immediately continued
its way. The man who had been at the tiller was replaced by one of his
comrades, and the oars were rapidly plunged into the water. However,
instead of returning on board as might have been expected,