Part 21 (1/2)

”Good, very good,” observed the latter with an approving nod; ”but that alters the game; down with the helm! steady!”

”Get the wreck of that boom cleared away, Manton, we won't want the mainsail long. Here comes a squall. Look sharp. Close reef topsails.”

The boom was swaying to and fro so violently, that three of the men who sprang to obey the order were hurled by it into the lee scuppers.

Gascoyne darted towards the broken spar and held it fast, while Manton quickly severed the ropes that fastened it to the sail and to the deck, then the former hurled it over the side with as much ease as if it had been an oar.

”Let her away now.”

”Why, that will run us right into the Long Shoal!” exclaimed Manton, anxiously, as the squall which had been approaching struck the schooner and laid her almost on her beam ends.

”I know it,” replied Gascoyne, curtly, as he thrust aside the man at the wheel and took the spokes in his own hands.

”It's all we can do to find our way through that place in fine weather,”

remonstrated the mate.

”I know it,” said Gascoyne, sternly.

Scraggs, who chanced to be standing by, seemed to be immensely delighted with the alarmed expression on Manton's face. The worthy second mate hated the first mate so cordially, and attached so little value to his own life, that he would willingly have run the schooner on the rocks altogether, just to have the pleasure of laughing contemptuously at the wreck of Manton's hopes.

”It's worth while trying it,” suggested Scraggs, with a malicious grin.

”I mean to try it,” said Gascoyne, calmly.

”But there's not a spot in the shoal except the Eel's Gate that we've a ghost of a chance of getting through,” cried Manton, becoming excited as the schooner dashed towards the breakers like a furious charger rus.h.i.+ng on destruction.

”I know it.”

”And there's barely water on _that_ to float us over,” he added, striding forward, and laying a hand on the wheel.

”Half-a-foot too little,” said Gascoyne, with forced calmness.

Scraggs grinned.

”You shan't run us aground if I can prevent it,” cried Manton, fiercely, seizing the wheel with both hands and attempting to move it, in which attempt he utterly failed, and Scraggs grinned broader than ever.

”Remove your hands,” said Gascoyne, in a low calm voice, which surprised the men who were standing near and witnessed these proceedings.

”I won't. Ho! lads, do you wish to be sent to the bottom by a--”

The remainder of this speech was cut short by the sudden descent of Gascoyne's knuckles on the forehead of the mate, who dropped on the deck as if he had been felled with a sledge hammer. Scraggs laughed outright with satisfaction.

”Remove him,” said Gascoyne.

”Overboard?” inquired Scraggs, with a bland smile.

”Below,” said the captain; and Scraggs was fain to content himself with carrying the insensible form of his superior officer to his berth, taking pains, however, to b.u.mp his head carefully against every spar and corner and otherwise convenient projection on the way down.

In a few minutes more the schooner was rus.h.i.+ng through the milk-white foam that covered the dangerous coral reef named the Long Shoals, and the _Talisman_ lay-to, not daring to venture into such a place, but pouring shot and sh.e.l.l into her bold little adversary with terrible effect, as her tattered sails and flying cordage shewed. The fire was steadily replied to by Long Tom, whose heavy shots, came cras.h.i.+ng repeatedly through the hull of the man-of-war.

The large boat, meanwhile, had been picked up by the _Talisman_, after having rescued Mr Mason and Henry, both of whom were placed in the gig.