ronet, "I think I can guess exactly what you
would say, captain; but not another word, if you please. What? Would
you have me skulk below while brave men are imperilling their lives in
defence of those who are dearer to me than my own life? I could not
possibly do it. Besides, if I am not greatly mistaken, you will need
all the force you can muster before the end of the affair is reached. I
shall be back again within five minutes, and I have to request that,
from then until the fight is over, you will be pleased to consider me as
completely under your orders as any other man in the ship."

So saying, Sir Edgar turned toward the companion and made his way below
with a composure as imperturbable as though he had just bade me "good
night" and were about to turn in, instead of looking forward to active
participation in a struggle which there was only too much reason to
expect would be of the most sanguinary and desperate character, and the
result of which might well be anticipated with anxiety.

The baronet's head had scarcely vanished beneath the companion-slide
when there came a flash and a puff of smoke, followed by a sharp,
ringing report from the nearest proa--now directly astern of us, the
barque having swung with her head once more pointing fair up the
straits--and then the surface of the water was torn and lashed into
momentary foam, some eight or ten fathoms away on our port beam, by the
spattering of a heavy shower of bullets or slugs of some sort that had
evidently formed the charge of the gun.

"That was well meant, at any rate," remarked Roberts, as he crossed the
deck and placed himself at my side. "By the report of it I judge that
it is a brass gun they are using, and they've got our range to a nicety,
for a wonder."

"Yes," said I; "the men had better get under cover, Mr Roberts, for, if
the next charge should happen to fall on board us, somebody may be hurt,
and there are so few of us that we cannot afford to have any casualties
before coming to close quarters. Be good enough to see to this, if you
please, and while you are forward get one of the men to open and start a
drum of petroleum into the tank of the fire engine, and put the nozzle
of the hose into the tank to soak, so that our wick arrangement round
the jet may get thoroughly saturated with oil against the time that we
shall want to use it. At the same time you had better tell off two of
the most reliable hands to attend exclusively to t