22 THE WORLD OF ICE.

fore part of the ship in a dense mass. Gradually they
were beaten back, and at length were brought to bay
on. the quarter-deck.

“Help, father!” cried Fred, pushing through the
struggling crowd, “here’s the carronade ready loaded.”

“Ha! boy, well done!” cried the captain, seizing
the gun, and, with the help of Buzzby, who never
left his side, dragging it forward. “ Clear the way,
lads!”

In a moment the little cannon was pointed to the
centre of the mass of men, and fired. One awful
shriek of agony rose above the din of the fight, as a
wide gap was cut through the crowd; but this only
seemed to render the survivors more furious. With
a savage yell they charged the quarter-deck, but were
hurled back again and again by the captain and a
few chosen men who stood around him. At length
one of the pirates, who had been all along conspicuous
for his strength and daring, stepped deliberately up,
and pointing a pistol at the captain’s breast, fired.
Captain Ellice fell, and at the same moment a ball
laid the pirate low; another charge was made; Fred
rushed forward to protect his father, but was thrown
down and trodden under foot in the rush, and im
two minutes more the ship was in possession of the
pirates.

Being filled with rage at the opposition they had
met with, these villains proceeded, as they said, to
make short work of the crew, while several of them
sprang into the cabin, where they discovered Mrs.