peppering them."

At length Jack was compelled to stop for a moment to draw breath; he
took the opportunity of casting a look behind him, to ascertain in what
direction the Cossacks were coming, but he could nowhere see them.

"I hope that you are right, Needham," he whispered; "and now, on we go,
and we may get up to the boat before we are discovered."

Scarcely had he spoken, than a shout was heard, and the figures of the
horsemen, with their long lances, were perceived against the sky.

"On! on!" cried Jack; "they see us; no matter, we are still well ahead
of them."

Dick, seizing Jerry's arm, again sprang forward; on came the Cossacks
clattering in their rear; the boat was still at too great a distance to
enable them to make themselves heard by Tom. The ground was hard and
level, and, straining every nerve, they ran faster than they had ever
before done in their lives. No mercy could be expected from the
Cossacks, should they be overtaken.

Again Jerry began to slacken his pace. "Cheer up, mate, cheer up!"
cried Dick; "the Cossacks' lances are not within a good many inches of
us yet, and it will be time enough to cry out when they get inside our
waistcoats."

Jack, though he might have gone faster than either of his men, would not
leave them behind; if he sprang ahead, it was merely to have time to
look round and ascertain how far off were their pursuers. He calculated
that they were approaching the boat, and that if they shouted loudly Tom
would bear them; once more he looked round; the horsemen were within a
hundred yards of them; they might have stopped them with their carbines;
possibly, however, they were unloaded, when they hurriedly threw
themselves on horseback. Jack, as he sprang forward, felt the ground
very soft beneath his feet, and recollected that they must have reached
the marsh they had crossed on leaving the boat. To run across it seemed
scarcely possible, as their feet had before sunk in every few yards they
trod; there appeared to be no hope of escape.

Just at this moment down came poor Jerry--who had for some few seconds
been floundering along, though doing his best to keep up--with his face
in the mud.

"Go ahead, sir, go ahead!" cried Dick; "don't stop for us; I'll do my
best to set Jerry on his legs."

"I will not desert him," answered Jack, stooping to lift up the fallen
seaman, while Dick lifted him up with the other arm, and quickly again
set him on his feet.

"Heave ou