he lieutenant and his sailing master stood together on the roof of
the cabin deckhouse. The sailing master held a glass to his eye. "She
carries a long gun, sir," he said, "and four carronades. She'll be
hard to beat, sir, I do suppose, armed as we are with only light arms
for close fighting."

The lieutenant laughed. "Why, Brookes," he said, "you seem to think
forever of these men showing fight. You don't know them as I know
them. They have a deal of bluster and make a deal of noise, but when
you seize them and hold them with a strong hand, there's naught of
fight left in them. 'Tis like enough there 'll not be so much as a
musket fired to-day. I've had to do with 'em often enough before to
know my gentlemen well by this time." Nor, as was said, was it until
the very last that the lieutenant could be brought to believe that the
pirates had any stomach for a fight.

The two vessels had reached perhaps within a mile of the pirate sloop
before they found the water too shallow to venture any farther with
the sail. It was then that the boat was lowered as the lieutenant had
planned, and the boatswain went ahead to sound, the two vessels, with
their sails still hoisted but empty of wind, pulling in after with
sweeps.

The pirate had also hoisted sail, but lay as though waiting for the
approach of the schooner and the sloop.

[Illustration: "The Bullets Were Humming and Singing, Clipping Along
the Top of the Water"

_Illustration from_
JACK BALLISTER'S FORTUNES

_by_ Howard Pyle

_Originally published by_
The Century Company, 1894]

The boat in which the boatswain was sounding had run in a considerable
distance ahead of the two vessels, which were gradually creeping up
with the sweeps until they had reached to within less than half a
mile of the pirates--the boat with the boatswain maybe a quarter of a
mile closer. Suddenly there was a puff of smoke from the pirate sloop,
and then another and another, and the next moment there came the three
reports of muskets up the wind.

"By zounds!" said the lieutenant. "I do believe they're firing on the
boat!" And then he saw the boat turn and begin pulling toward them.

The boat with the boatswain aboard came rowing rapidly. Again there
were three or four puffs of smoke and three or four subsequent reports
from the distant vessel. Then, in a little while, the boat was
alongside, and the boatswain came scrambling aboard. "Never mind
hoisting the boat," said the lieutenant