Fred observed them, and felled the first with a handspike before he reached the deck; but the pirate who instantly followed would have killed him had he not been observed by the second mate, who had prevented several of the men from joining in the _melee_ on the forecastle in order to meet such an emergency as this.

Rushing to the rescue with his party, he drove the pirates back into the boat, which was immediately pulled towards the bow, where the other two boats were now grappling and discharging their crews on the forecastle.

Although the men of the West Indiaman fought with desperate courage, they could not stand before the increasing numbers of pirates who now crowded the fore part of the ship in a dense mass.

Gradually they were beaten back, and at length were brought to bay on the quarter-deck.
"Help, father!" cried Fred, pushing through the struggling crowd, "here's the carronade ready loaded." "Ha! boy, well done!" cried the captain, seizing the gun, and, with the help of Buzzby, who never left his side, dragging it forward.

"Clear the way, lads!" In a moment the little cannon was pointed to the centre of the mass of men, and fired.