d about him anxiously, as though he was in doubt
whether to go to the east or the west. But he had been around the two
points west of him, and he seemed to think that his safest way was to
stick to the ground with which he had become acquainted. The schooner
was half a mile from Simms's Point by this time; but Pearl evidently
thought that all he had to do was to return to the westward of the buoys
by the way he had come into the Gut, and the Sylph could not come near
his boat. He came about, and stood to the north-west.

"We are all right still, Dory Dornwood," said Pearl, as he glanced at
the steamer. "She can't come any nearer to us than she is now, and a
quarter of a mile is as good as a mile."

Dory kept his eye on the Sylph. The moment she stopped her screw, there
was a lively movement on board of her. Orders were given in quick and
sharp tones; and presently her two quarter-boats, which were swung on
davits, were dropping into the water. This was what Dory had expected
her to do before this time.

"What is she doing, Dory Dornwood?" asked Pearl, when he discovered that
something was going on upon the deck of the steamer.

"She is doing the next thing," answered Dory, who was determined not to
give the enemy any comfort.

"What is she about?" demanded the skipper.

"You have a pair of eyes, and you know how to use them."

By this time the boats began to drop into the water. They were lowered
from the davits with the oarsmen on the thwarts, and an officer in the
stern-sheets. Pearl could not help seeing what the steamer was doing
now. He looked troubled, and he used some needless profanity in an under
tone.

"What is going on now, Dory?" asked Peppers, who could not see the
steamer through the aperture in the door.

"The steamer is getting out her boats," replied Dory. "She has just
dropped one from each quarter into the water."

"Four boats!" exclaimed Peppers.

"No," answered Dory, laughing in spite of his situation. "I didn't say
four boats."

"You said one from each quarter; and there are four quarters in any
thing, according to my arithmetic," added the officer.

"A vessel has but two quarters, and she has dropped two boats into the
water. There are five men in each of them," continued Dory.

"That will do! Dry up, and shut up, all of you!" interposed Pearl. "I
am going to fight this thing out to the end, and I don't want any more
talk."

The Goldwing was in behind the land, so that she did n