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I whispered to Marjory and Don Bernardino:
"If they once get ae are lost! We must stop them at all hazards!"The Spaniard nodded and Marjory squeezed my hands; there was no needof speech Then I fixed the order of battle I was to fire first, thenthe Spaniard, then Marjory, each saving his fire till we knehetheranother shot was required This precaution was necessary, as we had noreserve aranted that the chambers of therevolvers were full; my one shot had been satisfactory in this respectWhen the sails were set and we began rushing through the water I sawthat even at the risk of betraying ourselves to our eneain, and so fired There was an answering cheer fro; and then a sudden rush forward of those onour own deck When they were close to us, the sea as they came Fortunately ere in aline behind cover, for I could hear the 'ping' and the tearing wood asthe bullets struck the mast I fired a shot just to show that erearmed; and heard a sharp cry Then they fell back In a moment or twothey also had formed their plan of battle These were men used to suchencounters; and as they knew that at such tirass grow under their feet I couldsee one of the seary tones of his voice, though I could not distinguish the words
He pointed out into the fog, where now there was distinctly a lu towards us The _Keystone_was co down on us
The blackave soht and left of us, and tried to findso on the barrelfastened behind the ht that as the flash of my pistolhad come froh Don Bernardino and I curled down on the deck, and our opponentsbegan to fire In the thickening fog, and with the motion of the shipwhich threw us all about like ninepins, their aiht I had a chance I fired, but there wasno response; the Don got a shot and Marjory another, but there was nosound, save that of the bullets striking on wood or iron Then Marjory,whose traditional instinct was co into play, fired twice in rapidsuccession; there was a quick exclamation and then a flood of horribleprofanity, the ain they fired, and Iheard a groan behind me from the Don
"What's that?" I whispered, not daring to stop or even to look back:
"My arm! Take my pistol, I cannot shoot with my left hand" I put myhand back, and he placed the revolver in it I saw a dark form rushacross the deck and fired--and missed I tried another shot; but theweapon only answered with a click; the chambers were exhausted So Iused the other revolver And so for a few ht wenton Marjory seldo herself in reserve; butbefore I kneas happening onists were no chickens at their work; there was little to teachany of them in such athe shots, for he suddenly called out:
"Not yet boys! They've at least three shots still!" With a suddensimultaneous rush they ran back into shelter
During this tih the water at our fullspeed But behind us on the port quarter was the sound of a great shipstea on The roar of the furnaces could be heard in the tru, and there werevoices of coht toowas at work; we could see its rays high up on the h they didnot at the moment penetrate sufficiently to expose us to the lookout ofthe _Keystone_ Closer on our starboard quarter was another sound whichca fastWe could hear down the wind the sharp 'slap slap' of the waves on thebows, and the roaring of the wind a us close with gri the possibility of discovery, puthis helh the darkness;but the sea in Cruden Bay Whenwe had run in a little way the helain, andwe ran on the other tack; for the moment ere lost to both the warship and the yacht Marjory looked at ly and I nodded; thesituation was not one to be risked She fired another shot from herpistol There was an immediate reply from far out on our port side inthe shape offroang; they were manifestly on chance, for they ildly wide of usThen we could hear an angry remonstrance from the whaler captain, and athreat that if there were any , he would doith his sailsand take chance of being captured One of the gang answered him:
"That packet can't capture you within the three-mile li to lie up in harbourhere till the war is over" To which the other surlily replied:
"I wouldn't put money on it Anyhow soainst us already if we should be caught!" Thereply of the blackmailer was at least practical I could not see what hedid, but I took it that he put his pistol to the captain's head as hesaid with a frightful oath:
"You'll go on as you arranged with me; or I'll blow your brains outwhere you stand There's quite enough against any of us, you included;so your one chance anyhow is to get out of this hole See?" The captainaccepted the position and gave his orders with a quiet delivery, to theeffect that we ran first shorewards and then to starboard again till ere running back on our tracks like a hare
Suddenly, however, this course was brought to an end by our al into a small vessel which as we passed I could see by its trimappearance was a yacht We were so close for a few seconds, whilst weran across her stern, that I shouted out:
"All right, MacRae All safe as yet She's trying to run out to sea Tryto tell the _Keystone_" The ansas a cheer from all aboard
As our ship swept into the fog, several of our eneer and took the bowie knife et to close quartersThey got nearly up to us, firing as they ca behind the mast and no injury was done They hesitated toco heartsthe ship began to coain We must have been shelteredin some way, for we did not seem to feel either wind or tide so much asbefore Suddenly one of the seamen said:
"Whist! I hear breakers!" The rest paused and listened, and the captaincalled out: