position than to assume a horizontal one!"

Captain Ratlin understood the taunt, and stepping to where the English
officer had thrown his discharged weapon, he threw it high in the air,
and at the exact moment when the power of gravitation turned the piece
towards the earth, he quickly raised his arm and fired, sending the
bullet in his own pistol completely through the wooden stock of the
other. Then turning coolly to Captain Bramble, he said:

"A trembling hand, sir, is hardly so sure of its aim as that."

"This fellow is the evil one himself," whispered the surgeon to his
principal. "Come, let us on board, if he should insist upon at second
shot, we should be obliged to give him the chance, since he did not fire
at you, and he would drop you spite of fate."

"Curse his luck; I am sure I had him full in the breast--such a miss,
and I, who am so sure at a dozen paces;" and the English officer
continued to chafe and growl until he had got into his boat, and was out
of hearing from the shore.

Captain Ratlin and Don Leonardo quietly pulled back towards the
barracoons, and as they neared the shore they saw the form of a female,
which both at once recognized to be that of Miss Huntington, who stood
there pale as death, and who gazed intently at the young commander as he
drew nearer and nearer, and as he jumped upon the shore, said, hastily:

"You have been on a fearful errand. Have either of you been hurt?"

"Nay, lady, it was but a bit of morning sport," said Captain Ratlin,