warks, they must be an easy prey, and their hearts shall
stop beating when they suddenly see our faces."

The buccaneers quietly drew back; their foes came toward them with every
sail spread. Already they could see distinctly on the prow the hideous
figure of the Sea Devil, and as the pirates recognized one man after
another they whispered, gnashing their teeth: "There is so and so!"

"Keep your weapons ready," Barthelemy commanded in a low tone.

"We need no knives, we'll tear them to pieces with our nails," said
Asphlant.

On arriving within gunshot range, the black flag suddenly fluttered from
every masthead of the Sea Devil, and a bullet, hissing between the Royal
Fortune's sails was the challenge to speak. The deepest silence reigned
on Barthelemy's ship. The Sea Devil sailed close up to it, the Dutch
consort remaining a little behind. "Oho! Where is your captain?" shouted
some one on the Sea Devil.

"That's Kennedy's voice!" whispered Barthelemy giving the signal to
raise the black flag.

At the moment when, to the horror of the men on the Sea Devil, the black
flag floated from the Royal Fortune's mast, Barthelemy sprang on the
bulwark, shouting in stentorian tones:

"I am here, you worthless traitors! Do you still know Robert
Barthelemy?"

The assailants were instantly as silent as if death had stricken them;
Kennedy, in his terror, leaped into a boat and, pushing off from the
ship tried to reach the Dutch vessel, the others flung their weapons
away like madmen and, in the insanity of terror, leaped into the waves.

They were soon released from their trouble; two volleys poured at the
same moment from the guns of the Royal Fortune and the Fox Hound
shattered the Sea Devil which, amid frightful shrieks of despair, sank
with every man on board.

Meanwhile Kennedy and a few others had succeeded in reaching the Dutch
ship, which instantly spread every sail in a desperate effort to reach
the land.

Barthelemy pursued with both his ships.

The fugitive flung overboard all her ballast and finally even her guns,
by which sacrifice she succeeded in reaching the shore before the other
ships could interpose.

A throng of Calabrian negroes stood on the land watching the fight.

Kennedy hastily ordered his men into the boats and escaped to the shore.
"Not even that will save you," said Barthelemy, ordering the largest
boat to be lowered. He had eight guns placed in it, entered himself with
forty of his men,