ve the lead!"

However it may have been with the others on board of the Maud, the young
commander was in full possession of all his faculties, in spite of the
tremendous excitement which must have pervaded the minds of all on board
of the little craft. His first care was for the Maud, and he looked all
about him to ascertain what mischief had been done. He sent Pitts to the
galley to report on the effect of the shot there.

"And a quarter seven!" reported Felix.

This was the first mark on the chart outside of the shoal line from one
to two miles from the shore. The captain now turned his attention to the
condition of the Fatime. Louis had gone into the pilot-house to receive
any orders the commander had to give him. The collision had been a
surprise to him. It had not occurred to him that Captain Scott would
resort to such an extreme measure, though he had hinted at something of
the kind early in the morning.

"I suppose we may consider the battle as ended, Louis," said Scott, as
the other took his place on the opposite side of the wheel, where he
could see out of the front window on the port.

"I should say that it was decidedly ended, and in the most decisive
manner," replied Louis, though his thoughts were not a little scattered
and confused by the exciting events of the last few moments. "What
next?"

"If the pirates undertake to board us with their boats, we must be ready
to repel them," replied Scott.

"Board us! Why, the water is pouring into that hole in her side as
through a mill-sluice!" exclaimed Louis.

"But they are lowering their boats; and it remains to be seen what they
intend to do with them."

All the hands on board of the Fatime appeared to be Moors, for they were
all dressed in Oriental costume. By this time she was letting off steam
with a tremendous racket. The crew were casting loose the boats at the
quarter davits. If there was an English engineer on board of her, he had
clothed himself in Moorish costume, for no one in a European dress could
be seen.

"She is settling in the water," said Louis, as he observed the condition
of the disabled vessel.

"In a word, Louis, she is going to the bottom!" exclaimed Captain Scott.
"Do you see anything of Mazagan?"

"I have been looking for him, but I can't make him out," replied Louis.

By this time one of the boats was in the water, and the men were
crowding into her without any order or method in their movements. No one
appeared to be in