nd of the inlet, which was about half a mile
long and nearly as wide, with her broadside bearing on the entrance.

"If it is as large as that," Will said, "there will be plenty of room for
us to manoeuvre. Did you make out what number of guns she carried?"

"Yes, sir, she mounted four guns on each side; I should say they were for
the most part ten-pounders."

"I think we can reckon upon taking her. Our guns are of heavier metal than
hers, and the long-tom will make up for our deficiency in numbers."

_L'Agile_ was put under as easy sail as would suffice to give her
manoeuvring powers, and then headed for the mouth of the inlet. She was
half-way through when suddenly two hidden batteries, each mounting three
guns, opened upon her.

"Drop the anchor at once," Will shouted; "we will finish with these
gentlemen before we go farther." The schooner at the same time opened
fire, but at half a mile range her guns did not inflict much damage upon
the cutter. Lying between the two batteries she engaged them both, her
broadside guns firing with grape, while the long-tom sent a shot into each
alternately. In a quarter of an hour their fire was silenced, three of the
guns were dismounted, and the men who had been working them fled
precipitately.

"Take a boat and spike the remaining guns, Dimchurch," Will said; "I don't
want any more bother with them."

In a few minutes Dimchurch returned to the cutter, having accomplished his
mission. The anchor was then got up again, and she proceeded to attack the
schooner. _L'Agile's_ casualties had been trifling; only one had been
killed and three wounded, all of them slightly. As she sailed up the inlet
she replied with her pivot-gun to the fire of the enemy. At every shot the
splinters were seen to fly from the schooner's side, much to the
discomfiture of the pirate gunners, whose aim became so wild that scarcely
a shot struck _L'Agile_. When within a hundred yards of the schooner the
helm was put down, and the cutter swept round and opened fire with her two
broadside guns.

The shots had scarcely rung out when Harman touched Will on the shoulder.
"Look there, sir," he said. Will turned and saw a vessel emerging from a
side channel, which was so closed in with trees that it had been
unperceived by anybody aboard the cutter. Her aim was evidently to get
between them and the sea. She was a cutter of about the same size as
_L'Agile_, but carried six ten-pounders.

"The schooner has ent