position, the sails caught the breeze once more, and the vessel darted
away on a course which would take her past Bembridge Point out to the
English Channel. As she flew along her helm was put hard down, a puff
of smoke shot out from her quarter, and a cannon ball came hopping and
splashing over the waves, passing within a hundred yards of where we
lay. With this farewell greeting she came up into the wind again and
continued her course to the southward.

'Heart o' grace!' ejaculated Reuben in loose lipped astonishment.
'The murdering villains!'

'I would to the Lord that King's ship would snap them up!' cried I
savagely, for the attack was so unprovoked that it stirred my bile.
'What could the rogues have meant? They are surely drunk or mad!'

'Pull at the anchor, man, pull at the anchor!' my companion shouted,
springing up from the seat. 'I understand it! Pull at the anchor!'

'What then?' I asked, helping him to haul the great stone up, hand over
hand, until it came dripping over the side.

'They were not firing at us, lad. They were aiming at some one in the
water between us and them. Pull, Micah! Put your back into it!
Some poor fellow may he drowning.'

'Why, I declare!' said I, looking over my shoulder as I rowed, 'there is
his head upon the crest of a wave. Easy, or we shall he over him!
Two more strokes and be ready to seize him! Keep up, friend! There's
help at hand!'