"You must not kill yourself, Captain Pecklar. This is too hard work for you," said Christy.
"If I can only get out of this scrape, it will not make much difference what becomes of me," replied the invalid faintly.
"I will do this work myself. Don't you touch that shovel again."
"But things are looking very badly indeed for us, Christy," said the captain, bracing himself up as if for a renewed effort. "The Belle is almost up with the boat, and she will take Major Pierson and his party on board; and she is nearer to us than the Bellevite."
"Is that so? I have not looked astern for some time," replied Christy, rather startled by the information.
"The Bellevite is not sailing as fast as she has some of the time, and both the Belle and the Dauphine are nearer to us than she is," added Captain Pecklar. "I have been trying to get up more steam."
"If my father only knew that I was on board this tug, I should feel more hope," said Christy.
"Perhaps he suspects you are. He probably sent ashore to obtain information in regard to you. But we don't know."
Just then a cannon-ball made the splinters fly all around them.
