“What’s all that?” thought Tim, trembling in every limb. “I wonder if they have found out any one. I didn’t see any of the crew.” He was not left long in suspense. There issued from the hold, the cabin, and the forecastle of the ship a band of skeletons, sword in hand. Tim, at the first sight of them, fell on his knees, and then slipped into an empty water-barrel that was near by. From this place he could perceive all that passed. The Smuggler Chief had been deceived; and so had Dolphin. But how and by whom neither of them could tell. Instead of boarding the East Indiaman, they found themselves on the decks of the Phantom Ship! The confusion, uproar, and clanging of arms that now ensued were dreadful. Sea-hawk, Dolphin, and the rest of the bold smugglers, fought like demons. “To the boats! to the boats!” shouted Sea-hawk above the din of battle. All his men endeavoured to fight their way back again to the boats as directed by the chief. But their retreat was cut off. The Skeleton Crew, infuriated against their old enemies, the smugglers, fought with desperation. Pistol-shots scattered about the decks like hail-stones, and Tim, unfortunate as ever, had the misery to find that more than one stray bullet struck the cask in which he was hiding, and grazed his body and legs; but beyond a few scratches he escaped unhurt. Sea-Hawk, as brave as a lion, fought long and desperately with the grim crew; but many of his men were dying and wounded around him. “To the boats! to the boats!” he again shouted. Many of his followers did not need this second warning; but leaped over the sides of the vessel, and plunged into the sea in wild despair. On every part of the ship did the Skeleton Crew swarm like bees. Up the rigging they climbed like monkeys, making the most hideous noises. Death-wing, with his black banner on high, and with an immense cutlass in hand, seemed to mow down Sea-hawk’s men; and in less than fifteen minutes from the time the action commenced, the Phantom Ship was cleared of all its intruders save the dead and dying. The smugglers, entrapped as they had been, fought like bears; but nothing could withstand Death-wing and his grisly band. And ere Sea-hawk and his boats pushed off from the vessel, two cannons, loaded up to the muzzle with grape and canister shot, were fired after them, and the missiles of death swept the waters around the Phantom Ship with a hissing and fatal sound. CHAPTER XXIII. NED’S FIRST BATTLE—THE SHIP ON FIRE. After the action, the first thing the Skeleton Crew did was to examine the bodies of the dead and dying. Some were cast overboard immediately; but those whose wounds gave some hope of recovery, were, for the moment, more mercifully dealt with. For they were reserved for after tortures! Tim was in an unfortunate position. He was neither dead nor wounded.