d not hurry, my friend!' said the captain, surprised at this
order and smiling at the Haytian's impulsiveness, as he thought it.
`There will be plenty of time for lowering the boat when we come in
sight of land.'

"`I think differently, monsieur,' rejoined the other, scowling and
assuming an arrogant tone for the first time. `I say the time is
_Now_!'

"This he yelled out at the top of his voice.

"Instantly the gang of blacks made a rush at the poop on both sides at
once, and Captain Alphonse clutched at his revolver, which he had in his
pocket, but was unable to get it out in time.

"Mine, however, was in my hand and ready cocked."

"Houly Moses!" ejaculated Garry O'Neil, his Irish blood making him all
attention now at the mere mention of fighting. "I hope ye let 'em have
it hot, sor!

"Guess I did!" replied Colonel Vereker grimly, dropping unconsciously
into his native vernacular, which up to now he had almost seemed to have
forgotten from his long residence amongst a Spanish-speaking race. "You
may bet your bottom dollar on that, sir! I aimed at that scoundrel the
`marquis,' but he jumped backward in his fright and his foot catching in
one of the ringbolts, he tumbled right over the poop-rail on to the deck
below; the shot I had intended for him dropping the black pilot, his
constant companion, and who was invariably behind him. _He_ dropped
down as dead as a herring!

"Don Miguel, who luckily had just come up from the saloon, being handy
with his revolver from the rough times he had experienced, like myself,
in Venezuela, settled another darkie; while little Johnson, the
Englishman, caught up a long hand-spike, bigger than himself, and with
it knocked down two of the Haytians to his own cheek.

"Madame Boisson, meanwhile, was screaming for her husband, her brave
Hercules, to come to the rescue; but the `brave Hercules' had locked
himself in his cabin, as my little Elsie told me afterwards; for
fortunately the poor child was not feeling well and I had desired her to
remain below during the hot noontide heat of the sun; and, she also
said, she could hear him crying and sobbing and calling down
imprecations on everybody, including `my wife' and himself for both
being in such a position, Madame Boisson hammering at the door all the
time, and, after finding he would not reopen to her appeal for help,
apostrophising him as a coward! a pig!

"During this time we were pretty busy on deck, the second mate,