“Now, what’s the next thing to be done, Harry?” inquired he, as soon as we had completed our task of shifting the sails. “This is all very well as far as it goes, but yon boat is overhauling us at every stroke of the oars, and we’ve only postponed the pleasure of an introduction to the chaps, unless the breeze happens to freshen up a trifle, of which I sees no signs just at present.”
“I’ve made up my mind,” I replied. “We must not be taken, Bob. I feel convinced that our lives would not be worth an hour’s purchase if we fell into the hands of that villain; but, even supposing he were to stop short of murder, his malignity would doubtless prompt him to destroy the little Lily; and by such an act all our past efforts would be nullified, and our future success rendered extremely doubtful. We must fight, Robert, my man, now that we can no longer run; so let’s get our gun up and rigged without further delay. By the time that we have it ready, they will be within range; and I think we may persuade them to turn back yet.”
“So be it,” replied Bob gleefully. “I’d always rather fight than run away, Harry, lad—at least, when it’s anything like a fair match; so let’s rouse up the pop-gun and have a shy at ’em.”
This gun was, as I think I have mentioned before, a four-pound rifled piece, which was specially made to my order by an eminent firm. It was a most beautiful little weapon, exquisitely finished; was a breech-loader, and threw a solid shot about a mile, and a shell nearly half as far again. It was mounted on a swivel or pivot, which we had the means of firmly fixing to the deck.
We got it out and upon deck, and soon had it mounted and ready for service. Bob took the tiller, desiring me to work the gun, as I was not only a more practised artillerist than he, but knew also how to handle a breech-loader, and I had the knack somehow of shooting straight.
I had it loaded, and was in the act of levelling it, when Bob said, “Suppose we was to let them chaps get a bit nearer, Hal, afore we opens fire. I’ve a notion that if we gets ’em well away from the brig, and well within range of our little barker there, we might give ’em such a peppering afore they could get clear of us ag’in as would sicken ’em of having any more to do with us. Perhaps it mightn’t be quite onpossible to destr’y the boat altogether, and then there’s seven or eight good hands wiped off the chap’s books. This here ain’t like a ordinary enemy, you see, lad—he’s a sort of general enemy to all mankind; and the more harm we can do to him, the more good we’ll be doing the rest of the world.”
It sounded rather like cold-blooded barbarity, this proposal of Bob’s to attempt the destruction instead of the repulse of the boat in pursuit of us, but every word he said in support of his proposition was strictly true; and indeed some such idea had been present in my own mind, so I withheld my fire for a time.
At length, however, they were within half a mile of us, and I thought we might now fairly commence operations. I carefully levelled the piece accordingly, and desiring Bob to sit well out of the line of fire and steer as steadily as possible, I watched the heave of the cutter, and pulled the trigger-line.
The shot sped straight for the boat, but, striking the water just before it reached her, bounded clear over her and into the sea beyond. There was a shout from the people in the boat, and we could see that they stretched to their oars with doubled exertion.
“Straight as it could go, Harry, lad, but rather too much elevation; try ’em again, boy, and look smart about it too, for they’re giving way as if the devil was behind ’em.”