s and lie down between the chests;
you'll run very little risk of being hit there; but for my part, I'll
stand at the helm till the boat gets up with us," said Bill.

Jack would not do this, but pulled away as stoutly as at first.

Presently another shot struck one of the oars, and so splintered it that
the next pull Jack gave it broke short off. He was now compelled to
take in the other.

"The next time the Frenchmen fire they may aim better," he said. "Come,
Bill, I'm ready to stand by you, but there's no use being killed if we
can help it."

"The boat isn't up with us yet," answered Bill. "Till she gets
alongside I'll hold on, and maybe at the very last the Frenchmen will
give up."

"I don't see any hope of that," said Jack. "In ten minutes we shall be
prisoners. By-the-bye, I turned all my gold into this chest. If the
Frenchmen find it they'll keep it, so I'll fill my pockets again, and
they may not think of looking into them, but they're sure to rummage the
chest."

Saying this, Jack opened the chest, and soon found his treasure, which
he restored to his pockets. He asked Bill to take some, but Bill
declined on the same ground that he had before refused to appropriate
it.

Bill again advised Jack to lie down, and, to induce him to do so, he
himself knelt on the raft, as he could in that position steer as well as
when standing up.

Thus they presented the smallest possible mark to the Frenchmen.

Shot after shot was fired at them. Their chances of escape were indeed
rapidly diminishing.

At last the Frenchmen ceased firing.

They were either struck by the hardihood of the boys, or had expended
their ammunition; but the boat came on as rapidly as before, and was now
not half a cable's length from them.

"We must lower the sail," cried Bill, with a sigh, "or the Frenchmen
maybe will run us down;" and Jack let go the halyards.

In another minute the boat was up to them.

Besides her crew, there were five soldiers on board.

A volley of questions burst from the people in the boat; and all seemed
jabbering and talking together.

As she got alongside the raft, two men leaped out, and seizing Jack and
Bill, hauled them into the boat, while another made fast the raft, ready
to tow it back to the harbour.

Jack and Bill were at once handed aft to the stern-sheets, where they
were made to sit down. Immediately the officer in command of the boat
put various questions to them, as to who they were