meantime binding up each
other's hurts as well as they could, with their handkerchiefs, after
having reloaded their arms.

Snatchblock released Pedro, who seemed pleased at the successful
termination of the contest. His shipmates, he said, suspected him--the
pirates would have undoubtedly cut his throat had they got on board. He
helped Desmond very scientifically in dressing Adair's wounds.

"Beg pardon, sir," said Snatchblock, "if you will just lie down and get
some rest, Mr Desmond and I will keep a look out, and call you if we
get sight of our friends coming back to us. I am not much the worse for
my scratches, and so five or six of those most hurt among us can turn in
and try and get back their strength, in case we have more work to do
to-night."

Adair agreed to Ben's proposal, and having ordered grog to be served out
to the men, he himself lay down to obtain the rest he so greatly needed.

Except here and there where white marks in the bulwarks showed the spots
the bullets had struck, and the cutlasses had hewn out notches, scarcely
a sign of the late desperate struggle was visible. All was silent on
deck. Desmond alone paced up and down turning his watchful eye on
either side, while Snatchblock took a seat on the booms.
Notwithstanding his assertion, that he had only received a few
scratches, he felt, however, considerably the worse for them. For the
rest of the watch he lay down, trying, however, to keep awake, and be
ready to start up at a moment's notice.

Pedro suspecting that food would benefit all hands, lighted the
galley-fire, and began to prepare some broth. He had before this gone
below, and quieted the blacks, who had naturally been alarmed at the
noise of the firing, not knowing what was happening. He now sat down in
a corner of the caboose with his arms folded, and fell asleep while
watching the soup boiling.

The night grew on, and morning was approaching. A breeze had sprung up
from the eastward with sufficient strength to disperse the mist, and to
keep back the usual land wind, which blows from the opposite direction,
while it ruffled the surface of the harbour into waves.

Just after the first streaks of dawn had appeared above the horizon,
Desmond caught sight of a number of boats collected up the harbour.
They appeared to be pulling towards the brigantine, but as the wind was
against them, and the current was setting in, they made but slow
progress. Desmond awoke Snatchblock,