strike the water about half way between the two
vessels.

"Bully for you, Mazagan!" exclaimed Felix. "You fired at the water, and
you hit it."

"He is only trying his gun, and he will do better than that after he
gets his hand in," said the captain. "The piece was depressed too much
to prove what it would do if properly aimed."

"They are getting up the anchor!" shouted Felix a couple of minutes
later, after he had brought his spy-glass to bear upon the pirate.

"She is evidently going to do something," said the captain, who had
taken his usual place at the wheel, while Louis was on the other side of
it, where both had remained after the steamer stopped.

"What do you suppose Mazagan intends to do now?" asked Louis.

"I have not the remotest idea, except that, in a general way, he will
try to keep us shut up in this channel. For that reason I do not
propose to remain here any longer;" and he rang the gong to go ahead.

The tide must have risen six or eight inches by this time, increasing
the depth in the channel to that extent. Scott had taken the bearings
very carefully when he came in, and he soon rang the speed bell. The
Maud proceeded at full speed till she came to the turn in the passage,
where the captain rang to stop her, in order to take an observation.

The Fatime had not yet got under way, and she appeared to be having some
difficulty with her cable or anchor. As soon as the Maud had lost her
headway the port gun belched out another flash and cloud of smoke. The
Maud was at about the same distance from the pirate as when the latter
fired before, and Scott watched with interest for the result of the
discharge. The solid shot plumped into the water half a mile from the
mark, just as though it had been dropped from some point overhead.

"I don't know much of anything about gunnery, except with four-pounders
on a yacht; but that last gun was elevated so that we know about the
range of her pieces," said the captain. "It is less than half a mile,
and her shots would not do much damage at more than half that distance."

"She has weighed her anchor, and started her screw," reported Felix, who
was still watching the enemy with the glass.

Scott rang the gong, and the Maud went ahead again. At the same time he
directed Felipe to be ready to give the steamer her best speed.

"Another shot!" shouted Felix.

This one was discharged from her starboard gun, as she came about; but
its range fell considerably sh