“But they shall never get a pennyworth of it!” said Abe Storms to Fred.
The latter lowered his glass and looked inquiringly at him.
“When it becomes absolutely certain that they have got us, I shall throw all the pearls overboard, so that they shall gain nothing more than our lives.”
“That’s right; only,” said the young captain, with a smile, “I advise you not to be in too much of a hurry about it, for you will feel somewhat mortified if we reach Wauparmur, after all, and you find you have cast your whole wealth into the sea.”
“I shan’t lose my head,” said the mate, with a laugh, “unless one of them takes it off.”
Inez Hawthorne was silent at the prow of the proa, where she was looking for the longed-for sail, which, alas! was never to appear, for she, too, had come to believe there was no other hope for her and her friends.
Mate Storms and Captain Fred happened to turn their heads at the same moment, and were looking at the double proa coming up with them very rapidly, when each uttered an exclamation, for they suddenly saw a red flash at the prow of the boat, a puff of smoke, and then the report of a musket reached them almost at the same instant that the whistle of the bullet through the rigging was heard.
“By George, they are firing at us!” said Fred, as 252 if it was not the most natural thing in the world for them to do.
“Yes, and they’re aiming pretty well, too, for that shot went through the sail!”
“I hardly supposed they were near enough to do that, but they are in earnest. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to reply to their hail?”