cabin door.

"That's about right now, sir," said Tom; "and that's about safe, but I'm
blessed if I didn't think it had all gone off."

_Bang_! went another gun.

"Go it, old gal," cried Tom. "I say, sir, that first shot must have hit
us somewheres forrard. Oughtn't we to give 'em a cheer?"

"Yes," cried Mark; and the men pressed to the cabin window, but before
they could shout there was the smashing of glass overhead, and the
barrel of a pistol was thrust down.

"Say, there," came in the skipper's voice. "Just yew all lie down. Yew
show yewrselves at that winder any one of yew and I'll send a bullet
through the fire that signals."

Mark's first idea was to commence war on their side, but he waited his
time, and sat down smarting and throbbing, as the black came across to
him and laid a hand upon his knee, looking commiseratingly in his face.

"Oh, it's nothing much," said Mark, hastily, though he was quivering
with pain.

"But it is much, sir," said Tom Fillot, who, at a sign from Mark, had
drawn back and now stood gazing at his young leader.

"Does it show, Tom?"

"Want me to tell you the hull truth, sir?"

"Yes, of course."

"Hair's all singed off, sir, and you ain't got a bit a' eyebrow or
eyelash left."

Mark groaned.

"But they'll all grow again, sir," cried the sailor, eagerly, "and it
might ha' been worse."

"Couldn't, Tom. It does smart so."

"But s'pose your whiskers had growed, sir. Why, it would ha' took all
them off too."

"Don't--don't talk, man," cried Mark impatiently. "Only try if you can
see what's going on. How was it we didn't see the _Nautilus_ before?"

"She must ha' come round some pynte sudden-like, and took 'em on the
hop, sir. We couldn't make her because we can only see just astarn.
They're luffing a bit aboard the _Naughtylass_ to fire. There she
goes."

Almost as he spoke there was a white puff of smoke, a shot came skipping
along the surface and then went right over the schooner, and splashed in
the sea beyond.

"Hadn't we better hyste them colours out o' winder?" said Tom.

"What for?" said Mark, trying to suppress the manifestations of pain
which would keep showing.

"They'll think we've surrendered and cease firing."

"But that would be helping the schooner to escape."

"Why, of course, sir," cried Tom, slapping his leg; "that wouldn't do no
good. I was only thinking of its being onpleasant to sit here and be
shot at by one's own messmates. But