THE WORLD OF ICE. 17

of the captain as he said hastily, “ You may stay,
then,” and turned towards the men, who now stood
assembled on the quarter-deck.

Addressing the crew in his own blunt, vigorous
style, he said, “Lads, yon rascally schooner is a pirate,
as you all know well enough. I need not ask you if
you are ready to fight; I see by your looks you are.
But that’s not enough—you must make up your minds
to fight well. You know that pirates give no quarter.
I see the decks are swarming with men. I you don’t
go at them like bull-dogs, you'll walk the plank before
sunset every man of you. Now, go forward, and
double-shot your muskets and pistols, and stick as
many of the latter into your belts as they will hold.
Mr. Thompson, let the gunner double-shot the four big
guns, and load the little carronade with musket-balls
to the muzzle. If they do try to board us, they'll get
a Warm reception.”

“There goes a shot, sir,” said Buzzby, pointing
towards the piratical schooner, from the side of which
a white cloud burst, and a round shot ricochetted over
the sea, passing close ahead of the ship.

“Ay, that’s a request for us to lay-to,” said the cap-
tain bitterly, “ but we won’t. Keep her away a point.”

“Ay, ay, sir,” sung out the man at the wheel. A
second and a third shot were fired, but passed unheeded,
and the captain, fully expecting that the next would
be fired into them, ordered the men below.

“We can’t afford to lose a man, Mr. Thompson ;
send them all down.”

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