we don't do something."

"You must be a bright boy to see that, Terence; faith, I have been
thinking so for the last ten minutes. But what are we to do? The muskets
won't carry so far, at least not to do any good. The cannon are next to
useless. Two of that lot you fired burst, though the ropes prevented any
damage being done."

"Quite so, but there are plenty of guns alongside. Now, if you go to the
major and volunteer to take your company and gain possession of the
lugger, with one of the mates and half a dozen sailors to work her, we can
get up the main-sail and engage the brig."

"By the powers, Terence, you are a broth of a boy," and he hurried away to
the major.

"Major," he said, "if you will give me leave, I will have up my company
and take possession of the lugger; we shall want one of the ship's
officers and half a dozen men to work the sails, and then we will go out
and give that brig pepper."

"It is a splendid idea, O'Grady."

"It is not my idea at all, at all; it is Terence O'Connor who suggested it
to me. I suppose I can take the lad with me?"

"By all means, get your company up at once."

O'Grady hurried away, and in a minute the men of his company poured up
onto the deck.