ld be sent against her
which must, at such short range, have infallibly sent her to the bottom.

The mate of the pirate schooner was quite alive to his danger, and had
taken the only means in his power to prevent it. Close to where his
vessel lay, a large rock rose between the shore of the large island and
the islet in the bay which has been described as separating the two
vessels from each other. Owing to the formation of the coast at this
place, a powerful stream ran between the rock and this islet at low
tide. It happened to be flowing out at that time like a mill-race.
Manton saw that the schooner was being sucked into this stream. In
other circumstances, he would have endeavoured to avoid the danger; for
the channel was barely wide enough to allow even a small craft to pass
between the rocks; but now he resolved to risk it.

He knew that any attempt to put the schooner about, would only hasten
the efforts of the cruiser to bring her broadside to bear on him. He
also knew that, in the course of a few seconds, he would be carried
through the stream into the shelter of the rocky point. He therefore
ordered the men to lie down on the deck; while, in a careless manner, he
slewed the big brass gun round, so as to point it at the man-of-war.

Gascoyne at once understood the intended manoeuvre of his mate; and, in
spite of himself, a gleam of triumph shot from his eyes. Montague
himself suspected that his prize was not altogether so sure as he had
deemed it; and he urged the men in the boat to put forth their utmost
efforts. The _Talisman_ was almost slewed into position, when the
pirate schooner was observed to move rapidly through the water, stern
foremost, in the direction of the point. At first Montague could
scarcely credit his eyes; but when he saw the end of the main-boom pass
behind the point, he became painfully alive to the fact that the whole
vessel would certainly follow in the course of a few seconds. Although
the most of his guns were still not sufficiently well pointed, he gave
the order to fire them in succession. The entire broadside burst in
this manner from the side of the _Talisman_, with a prolonged and mighty
crash or roar, and tore up the waters of the narrow channel.

Most of the iron storm passed close by the head of the pirate. However,
only one ball took effect; it touched the end of the bowsprit, and sent
the jib-boom into the air in splinters. Manton applied the match to the
bra