alongside at any price, so I this time inserted a
shell instead of a solid shot, which I had before been firing.

Once more, after a very careful aim, the little piece rang out, and
again the shot reached its mark; this time with terrible effect, for the
shell exploded as it passed through the boat's thin planking, and the
fragments, continuing their flight forward, told so severely among the
crew, that it appeared as if they were _all_ more or less hurt. We saw
four fall from the thwarts, at all events, and all hands ceased pulling,
whilst three of the oars slipped unnoticed overboard.

I unrove the spinnaker-sheet from the main-boom before the astonished
Bob knew what I was about, let go the halliards, and let the sail down
by the run; and then jumped to the jib halliards and hoisted the sail
like lightning.

"Now," shouted I, "luff you may, Bob, and let's heave the craft to, and
finish the job for them."

As I said this, Bob put his helm down, whilst I hauled the jib-sheet to
windward, and then I sprang aft again to the gun.

By this time they had taken to their oars again, but there were only two
of them pulling: a sure indication of the extent to which our last shot
had told. They were turning the boat round to pull back to the ship,
and seeing this I felt some compunction about firing on them again, and
said so.

"Don't be such a soft-hearted donkey, Harry, lad," retorted Bob.
"Settle the whole lot if you can, boy; it'll only be so many skulking
cut-throats the less in the world. _My_ idee is that every one of them
chaps as we can finish off is one honest man's life saved; so give 'em
another of them shells, my boy. They _do_ seem wonderful persuaders,
small as they be."

I accordingly loaded again, and fired; but, probably from excitement,
fired too high, and the missile flew harmlessly over the boat.

The next time I was more careful, aiming with the utmost deliberation.
At length I pulled the trigger-line, and immediately leapt to my feet to
watch for the result.

The shell struck the boat's stern fairly amidships, and close to the
water-line; there was an explosion, but both the oarsmen appeared to be
unhurt. Almost immediately, however, one of them sprang aft and
crouched down, doing something that we could not make out.

I took the glass, and then saw that a large gap had been made by the
explosion of the shell, through which the water was doubtless pouring
rapidly.

There was a movement a