of overtaking them when
the land was so near.

"The villains!" exclaimed Flemming, as he and the priest set off at a
run to the house of the head chief, who had just sent an urgent message
for them to come and meet him and his leading men in counsel, "she must
be a slaver from the coast of South America."

The consultation with the chiefs was a hurried one, and a resolution
to board the barque and recapture the four men if possible, was quickly
arrived at. Over thirty canoes, and five or six boats, manned and armed
by nearly two hundred of the picked men of the island, and led by Martin
Flemming and three chiefs, were soon underway, and passing out through
the narrow passage in the reef, went northward till they rounded the
point, and saw the barque about five miles away. She had every stitch of
canvas set, but was making little more than steerage way, for only the
faintest air was filling her upper canvas.

The canoes and boats, at Flemming's suggestion, approached her in a
half-circle, his own boat leading. It was his intention to recover the
men if possible, without bloodshed, and he would first make an attempt
to board the slaver--for such she was--and alone try to achieve the
men's liberation by pointing out to the captain that his ship would be
captured and destroyed by the infuriated natives if he refused. If he
did refuse there would be a heavy loss of life--of that he (Flemming)
was certain.

Apparently no notice was taken by the barque of the approaching
flotilla, until it was within three quarters of a mile, then she hauled
up her mainsail, came slowly to the wind, and began firing with two of
the four guns she carried--nine-pounders. Flemming at once ordered all
the other boats and canoes to cease pulling and paddling, and he went on
alone. He was not again fired at till he came within a quarter of a mile
of the vessel, when a volley of musketry was fired, together with the
two heavy guns, both of which were loaded with grape. How any one of
them in the boat escaped was a marvel, for the bullets lashed the water
into foam only a few yards ahead, and some, ricochetting, struck and
damaged two of the oars.

To advance in face of such a fire would be madness. The barque evidently
carried a large and well-armed crew, so he slewed round and pulled
towards the little fleet, as those on the slaver yelled derisively, and
again began firing with the nine-pounders, and small arms as well.

And then, to his bit