lipped past
the doomed monitor Douglas's eye suddenly caught sight of a dark figure
with a rifle over its shoulder silhouetted against the luminous haze
thrown off by the lights of Callao, and his heart gave a great bound,
for the figure had not been there when the torpedo-boat passed up, and
she could now hardly hope to avoid detection.

Jim's fears were only too well founded, for the sentry saw the
_Janequeo_ as quickly as Jim saw the sentry, and in a second the fellow
roared a hoarse challenge across the water, discharging his rifle at the
boat as she swept past, without waiting for any reply. And indeed there
was no need for him to expect an answer to his hail, for he knew that no
boat ought to be cruising about there if she were a Peruvian; while, if
she were a Chilian--

The rifle-shot was the signal for an immediate uproar; it seemed as
though every man must have been asleep at his post, for the
_Atahualpa's_ decks suddenly became literally alive with figures, and
rifles began to flash about her in scores, while the bullets pattered
round and into the torpedo-boat with most unpleasant accuracy of aim.

"There is no time to destroy the _Union_ now," hissed Douglas between
his teeth; "we shall have to be satisfied with what we have already
done, and, _caramba_! we shall be fortunate if we get away with whole
skins. Look out, all people with thin skulls; the _Manco's_ people are
training her big guns on us! Full speed ahead, below there," he roared,
there being no more need now for secrecy; "give her all the steam she
can carry, or they will have us for certain."

The screw was already turning at its utmost speed, however, and not
another knot could be got out of the flying little steamer; indeed, she
was already doing sixteen, or one knot more than they had any right to
expect. Just as Jim spoke, a red rocket leaped up into the still night
air with a whistling roar, bursting high up in the sky with a shower of
brilliant red stars.

"A signal to the patrols in the bay!" cried Jim; and at the same moment
the huge 15-inch gun on board the _Manco Capac_ roared out its vengeful
message. "We shall have to hurry to get clear now, and no mistake."

The flash of the great gun, fired at such close quarters, nearly blinded
the _Janequeo's_ crew, while they were dazed by the hurtling roar of the
shell as it sped past, a few feet only above their heads. But the
torpedo-boat was now moving very rapidly, and the _Manc