The next moment blows were being given and taken. Mr Frewen was fighting furiously, and well seconded by Bob and Barney. Jarette and his men were checked, two going down, and to my astonishment they fell from blows given by the four men who had dashed forward. It was all one horrid confusion, for now one of these men turned on me, and wrested the gun from my grasp, though I tugged at it hard. Then it was pointed and fired at Jarette--not at me--missing him though, but making him lose his foot-hold, and fall with a heavy splash into the sea. "Hurray!" yelled Bob. "Give it to 'em," cried Barney; and I saw Mr Frewen strike one with a revolver in his hand, but using his fist as if he were boxing, and another man went backwards into the boat, while a blow or two from Neb Dumlow's capstan-bar, which Barney had picked up, sufficed to clear the chains. I looked over the side for a moment, and saw a man holding out an oar to Jarette, who was swimming; but there was a rush of feet again, and the men who had come over the bows were running back just in time to drive back three more, tumbling them over into the sea, to regain their boat the best way they could. Then these four, headed by the man who had led them, began to cheer, and came running back toward us, the man who had snatched my gun, and whom I saw now to be the cook, shouting louder than all the rest put together. "What, are you on our side, then, old Plum Duff?" cried Dumlow, who was now sitting up. "Seems like it, Neb," cried the cook. "Here, Mr Dale, sir, load quickly and fire, or they'll come on again." He handed me the gun, and I rapidly opened the breech and slipped in the cartridges, just as firing began from aft, and I saw that Mr Frewen was standing against the companion-way aiming at the boat containing Jarette, which had sheered off after picking up their leader and another man, while now the second boat hove in sight from under the bows, in time for Mr Frewen to send a stinging charge of shot at her crew in turn. He kept up his practice, while in both boats the men pulled with all their might to get out of range. But our troubles did not seem over, for hardly had we grasped the fact that the cook and three of the men had snatched at the opportunity to escape from Jarette's rule, and join us in the defence of the ship, than I saw that which made me shout-- "Fire!--fire!" for the great cloud of steam always rising was swept suddenly towards the starboard side, and the vessel slowly careened over in the same direction. "Burnt through, and sinking," I groaned to myself, and then I felt stunned, for Bob yelled out-- "Run to the wheel, Barney, lad. Keep her before the wind."