There was yet a faint glimmer of daylight when John Coe came upon the deck of the ship. In that dim light the fight was still going on. It had commenced with twelve men from the _Falcon_ on the one side, and ten men belonging to the _Duchess_ on the other. So nearly were the individuals of the contending parties balanced in personal strength and prowess, that the success of the pirates had been very nearly in exact proportion to their superiority of number. The loss was of two men upon each side, and the defenders of the ship had been driven back to a position very near to the quarter-deck; but of the pirates one was wounded and one was killed, while of the defenders two only were wounded. Both of the parties were fighting with cutlasses only; the pistols had all been fired in the beginning of the engagement, and there had since been no opportunity of reloading them. Coe, with his small force, threw himself between the contending ranks, flashing his cutlass right and left, and striking upwards the clashing weapons. "Hold your hands," he cried, in a loud voice. "My party is a small one; but we are enough to settle this contest at once in favour of the side into whose support we may throw ourselves." The pirates at once dropped their points and fell back; they, of course, felt convinced that a reinforcement had come to their help. Captain Johnson and his men, however, naturally looking upon the new comers as enemies, and supposing that Coe's mode of dealing with existing affairs was a _ruse_ to take them at disadvantage, were not disposed to cease fighting so readily. Still, Captain Johnson reflected that it would be well to hear what proposition was to be made. He, therefore, dropped his point and retired a step or two, and ordered his men to cease fighting and to fall back. His command was immediately obeyed. "Mr Brown," said Coe, addressing Bowsprit, as soon as he saw that the fighting was suspended, "you and your men are supplied with two pistols apiece, I believe?" "Yes, sir," answered Billy. "Are they all loaded?" asked Coe. "All loaded," was the echoed answer. "Then draw, each of you, one in each hand," said our hero, "and have each pistol ready for instant use. But keep your cutlasses suspended by the cord from the right wrist." Coe's order was instantly obeyed; and he himself at the moment prepared his weapons as he had commanded the others to prepare theirs.