About two o'clock in the morning, the padrone came aft to see if they
were asleep, but found Gascoigne watching. He returned aft again and
again; but found the young man still sitting up. Tired of waiting,
anxious to possess the money, and supposing that the lads were armed, he
went once more forward and spoke to the men. Gascoigne had watched his
motions; he thought it singular that, with three men in the vessel, the
helm should be confided to the boy--and at last he saw them draw their
knives. He pushed our hero, who woke immediately Gascoigne put his hand
over Jack's mouth, that he might not speak, and then he whispered his
suspicions. Jack seized his pistols--they both cocked them without
noise, and then waited in silence, Jack still lying down while Gascoigne
continued to sit up at the bottom of the boat. At last Gascoigne saw
the three men coming aft--he dropped one of his pistols for a second to
give Jack a squeeze of the hand, which was returned, and as Gascoigne
watched them making their way through the piles of empty baskets he
leaned back as if he was slumbering. The padrone, followed by the two
men, was at last aft--they paused a moment before they stepped over the
strengthening plank, which ran from side to side of the boat between
them and the midshipmen, and as neither of them stirred they imagined
that both were asleep--advanced and raised their knives, when Gascoigne
and Jack, almost at the same moment, each discharged their pistols into
the breast of the padrone and one of the men, who was with him in
advance, who both fell with the send aft of the boat, so as to encumber
the midshipmen with the weight of their bodies. The third man started
back. Jack, who could not rise, from the padrone lying across his legs,
took a steady aim with his second pistol, and the third man fell. The
boy at the helm, who, it appeared, either was aware of what was to be
done, or seeing the men advance with their knives, had acted upon what
he saw, also drew his knife and struck at Gascoigne from behind. The
knife fortunately, after slightly wounding Gascoigne on the shoulder,
had shut on the boy's hand--Gascoigne sprang up with his other pistol,
the boy started back at the sight of it, lost his balance, and fell
overboard.

Our two midshipmen took a few seconds to breathe.

"I say, Jack," said Gascoigne at last, "did you ever--"

"No, I never--" replied Jack.

"What's to be done now?"

"Why, as we've got