inst us for nearly a minute, some
flung down their weapons and cried for quarter, while the remainder made
a clean bolt of it forward and darted down the fore scuttle, which we
promptly closed upon them.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

SIERRA LEONE.

The brigantine was ours, and, my first thought being for the safety of
all three of the craft, I at once gave orders for the grappling irons to
be cast loose, and for the brig and schooner to haul off to a safe
distance. Then, looking round the deck of the brigantine, I noticed
Freeman, the acting master of the _Dona Inez_, away aft, with his coat
off, and one of his own men binding up the wounded arm of the officer.
I hastened aft.

"Not seriously hurt, Freeman, I hope?" said I.

"Hullo, Grenvile, that you?" he returned. "No, thanks; rather painful,
but not very serious, I hope. By Jove, but those Frenchmen fought
stubbornly; if you had not come up in the very nick of time it would
have gone pretty badly with us, I can tell you. You seem to have come
off scot free, by the look of you."

"Yes, I am all right, thanks--not a scratch," said I. "But where is Mr
Fawcett? I don't see him aboard here."

"No," answered Freeman, "poor chap! he is below, aboard the brig, and I
am afraid it is a bad job with him. The last broadside that this craft
fired into us was at pretty close quarters, as you perhaps noticed, and
the skipper was very severely wounded by a large splinter--abdomen torn
open. Hamilton, the assistant surgeon, is greatly afraid that it will
go badly with him."

"By Jove," said I, "I am awfully sorry to hear that! Could he see me,
do you think?"

"I really don't know," answered Freeman; "Hamilton is the man of whom
you must ask that question. Your best plan, I think, will be to go
aboard as soon as possible. Meanwhile, I suppose you will take charge
and make all necessary arrangements."

"Certainly," I said. "You, of course, will take command of the brig,
and Keene must take command here, with just enough men to enable him to
handle the ship, which, by the by, has a full cargo of slaves aboard, I
perceive." There could be no possible doubt as to this last, for there
was a thin, bluish-white vapour of steam curling up through the gratings
which closed the hatchways, the effluvium emanating from which was
almost unendurable.

"You," I continued, "had better get back aboard the brig and set your
crew to work to repair your damages aloft as quickly as p