MARTIN RATTLER, 51

down upon the deck. The weight of the wreck, also,
carried away the fore-top-mast, and in a single instant
the Firefly was completely disabled.

“Lower away the boats,” cried the captain. “Look
alive, now; we'll give them the slip yet. It'll be
dark in two minutes,”

The captain was right. In tropical regions there is
little or no twilight. Night succeeds day almost instan-
taneously. Before the boats were lowered and the men
embarked it was becoming quite dark. The schooner
observed the movement, however, and, as she did not
dare to venture through the reef in the dark, her boats
were also lowered, and the chase was recommenced.

The reef was passed in safety, and now a hard
struggle took place, for the shore was still far distant.
As it chanced to be cloudy weather, the darkness
became intense, and progress could only be guessed at
by the sound of the oars; but these soon told too
plainly that the boats of a schooner were overtaking
those of the barque.

“Pull with a will, lads,” cried the captain; “we
can’t be more than half-a-mile from shore; give way,
my hearties.”

“Surely, captain, we can fight them ; we’ve most of
us got pistols and cutlasses,” said one of the men in a
sulky tone.