THE WORLD OF ICE. 23

Ellice almost dead with terror. Dragging her violently
on deck, they were about to cast her into the sea,
when Buzzby, who stood with his hands bound,
suddenly burst his bonds and sprang towards her.
A blow from the butt of a pistol, however, stretched
him insensible on the deck.

“Where is my husband? my boy?” screamed Mrs.
Ellice wildly.

“They've gone before you, or they'll soon follow,”
said a savage fiercely, as he raised her in his powerful
arms and hurled her overboard. A loud shriek was
followed by a heavy plunge. At the same moment
two of the men raised the captain, intending to throw
him overboard also, when a loud boom arrested their
attention, and a cannon-shot ploughed up the sea
close in front of their bows.

While the fight was raging, no one had observed
the fact that the breeze had freshened, and a large
man-of-war, with American colours at her peak, was
now within gunshot of the ship. No sooner did the
pirates make this discovery than they rushed to their
boats, with the intention of pulling to their schooner ;
but those who had been left in charge, seeing the
approach of the man-of-war, and feeling that there
was no chance of escape for their comrades, or, as is
more than probable, being utterly indifferent about
them, crowded all sail and slipped away, and it was
now hull-down on the horizon to leeward. The men
in the boats rowed after her with the energy of
despair; but the Americans gave chase, and we need