"Pull for your lives, my men!" cried James Playfair, urging on the sailors, "those gun-shots cleared my route. The _Dolphin_ is eight hundred yards ahead of us. Stop! I hear the bell on board. Hurrah, there it is again! Twenty pounds for you if we are back in five minutes!" The boat skimmed over the waves under the sailors' powerful oars. A cannon boomed in the direction of the town. Crockston heard a ball whiz past them. The bell on the _Dolphin_ was ringing loudly. A few more strokes and the boat was alongside. A few more seconds and Jenny fell into her father's arms. The gig was immediately raised, and James Playfair sprang on to the poop. "Is the steam up, Mr. Mathew?" "Yes, Captain." "Have the moorings cut at once." A few minutes later the two screws carried the steamer towards the principal channel, away from Fort Sumter. "Mr. Mathew," said James, "we must not think of taking the Sullivan Island channel; we should run directly under the Confederate guns. Let us go as near as possible to the right side of the harbour out of range of the Federal batteries. Have you a safe man at the helm?" "Yes, Captain." "Have the lanterns and the fires on deck extinguished; there is a great deal too much light, but we cannot help the reflection from the engine-rooms." During this conversation the _Dolphin_ was going at a great speed; but in altering her course to keep to the right side of the Charleston Harbour she was obliged to enter a channel which took her for a moment near Fort Sumter; and when scarcely half a mile off all the guns bearing on her were discharged at the same time, and a shower of shot and shell passed in front of the _Dolphin_ with a thundering report. "Too soon, stupids," cried James Playfair, with a burst of laughter. "Make haste, make haste, Mr. Engineer! We shall get between two fires." The stokers fed the furnaces, and the _Dolphin_ trembled all over with the effort of the engine as if she was on the point of exploding. At this moment a second report was heard, and another shower of balls whizzed behind the _Dolphin_. "Too late, stupids," cried the young Captain, with a regular roar. Then Crockston, who was standing on the poop, cried, "That's one passed. A few minutes more, and we shall have done with the Rebs." "Then do you think we have nothing more to fear from Fort Sumter?" asked James. "Nothing at all, but everything from Fort Moultrie, at the end of Sullivan Island; but they will only get a chance at us for half a minute, and then they must choose their time well, and shoot straight if they want to reach us. We are getting near." "Right; the position of Fort Moultrie will allow us to go straight for the principal channel. Fire away then, fire away!" At the same moment, and as if in obedience to James Playfair, the fort was illuminated by a triple line of lightning. A frightful crash was heard; then a crackling sound on board the steamer. "Touched this time!" exclaimed Crockston.