"All ready," replied Quin.
"Now give it to them," said Dan, as he discharged his gun, and grasped another.
Quin did the same. The pursuers' boat was not more than ten rods from them, but, from the want of skill in the marksmen, the discharge proved harmless.
"Put in! Put in!" yelled one of the slave-hunters. "Never mind their firing. They can't hit nothing."
Dan and Quin fired again.
"I'm hit!" roared one of the enemy, with a horrible oath. "Don't go no furder."
"Keep her a goin!" replied another. "We'll fix 'em in a minute now."
The boat dashed up towards the Isabel; but Dan, as soon as he had fired, leaped from his place, and seizing the fifty-six pound weight, plumped it full into the bottom of the boat. The fugitives heard the pine boards crash, as the weight broke its way through, and went to the bottom of the lake.
"Stand by, now!" shouted Dan, as he seized his club, and dealt a heavy blow upon the head of the slave-hunter who was in the act of leaping on board the schooner.
"We're sinkin!" cried another of them; and the gunwale of the bateau in which they sailed was nearly submerged.