A hardly perceptible light at the point he was so closely watching, first attracted the attention of Christy,--perhaps the lighting of the steward's match. An instant later, the fireworks blazed up, and lighted up the smooth surface of the sleeping river. No doubt the conspirators, who had chosen darkness because their deeds were evil, were astounded to see so much light suddenly thrown upon their enterprise. Christy sprang to the gun, took a hasty sight, which satisfied him that the position of the gun had not changed a particle. As the dark outline of the Vampire passed in range of the selected tree, the midshipman sprang down from the gun-carriage. "Fire!" shouted he, in a determined though not very loud tone. It was a tremendous explosion, and the echoes rolled out from the hills as though they were armed with heavy guns, and were taking part in the conflict. Probably the rattling windows and the shaking frames of the houses roused all the sleepers within a mile of the ship. The Bellevite was enveloped in the smoke from the discharge, and though Christy mounted the carriage again to obtain a better view, he could see nothing, for there was not wind enough to sweep it away at once. But the young commander watched, with almost as much interest and anxiety as before, the signal station he had established. But there was no occasion for desperate haste, for the gun was ready for use a second time if the first shot had failed to do its work. On the other hand, if the Vampire was disabled, she would stay where she was, or drift down the river with the turn of the tide, and it was just about "full sea" at this time. The smoke was very aggravating to the midshipman, but he could not help himself. The light air swept it away in time, and, with his strained eyes, Christy discovered that two Roman candles were burning at the signal station. "Did you hit her, Christy?" asked Paul Vapoor, leaping on the gun-carriage. "I did," replied the midshipman, trying to control a certain feeling of exultation that took possession of his mind, for he did not consider that some of the party below might have been killed by the shot. "I suppose you don't know anything about the effect of the shot yet?" added Paul. "I only know that the Vampire is disabled." "How do you know that, for I can't see anything?" "Do you see those two blue lights burning at the side of the river?" asked Christy, as he pointed to the place. "I see them, and they light up the river like a flash of lightning." "They mean that the steamer is disabled; and for that reason she can't come any nearer than she is now." "But those villains will make their way to the shore, and there are boats enough about here to enable them to get alongside, and lay us aboard. This is not the end of the affair," said the engineer, very seriously. "Decidedly not; but I hope to have further information in the course of a few minutes," replied Christy. "Bellevite, ahoy!" shouted some one on shore.