rines, look to your arms."

The boat pulled eight oars, and there were two marines in the bows, and
two in the stern-sheets, sitting with their muskets between their knees.
In the bows of the boat was a small swivel-gun, and all the bluejackets
with cutlasses and pistols. Besides the lieutenant and Jack, there was
the coxswain, and there were some half-dozen long pikes which, as the
latter observed, would come in handy, if they had a fight with another
boat or had to attack a fort, but for boarding he would not give a rush
for them. The ebb-tide rushed past the boat dark and smooth, but with
swirling eddies, which showed the strength of the current against which
they had to contend.

"I wonder whether the other boat has fallen in with the slaver."

"I envy them if they have," observed Jack, who didn't much like being
silent just then.

There was something very oppressive in the atmosphere, and in the dark
solemn scenery which surrounded them. The sea-breeze had by this time
set in and blew up the river, but it had not yet been strong enough to
make it worth while to hoist the sail.

"I scarcely think the schooner could have got up so far as this,"
observed Mr Evans. "But we will pull on a little farther, and then if
we do not see her, we will go back, and join the other boat."

They had just then arrived at the end of a reach. The extent of the
next one was hidden from their sight by a point of land thickly covered
with trees. They pulled on, and soon doubled the point. Directly they
did so there appeared before them, pressing up the stream, under all
sail, the object of their search. The men required no urging, but,
bending to their oars, away they pulled in hot chase after her. The
schooner stood on steadily, as if no one on board was aware of the
presence of the boat of a British man-of-war. The boat rapidly came up
with her. As they drew near, Jack remarked that her decks were crowded
with a very ill-looking set of ruffians, but he cared little for that,
and he knew that every man in the boat would be ready to attack even
twice as many as there were there. They had got up to within a hundred
yards of the schooner without any notice being taken of them.

"Give way, my lads; we'll be alongside in a moment," shouted the
lieutenant.

Scarcely had he uttered the words, when a couple of guns were ran out at
the schooner's stern ports, and a shower of langrage, nails, bits of
iron, lead, and missiles o