"I wonder that you have not been killed." "Not a very awful time of it, and I took good care not to be killed," replied Christy.

"A fellow isn't good for much after he has been killed, and it is always best to look out and not get killed; though I suppose one cannot always help it." "Did you fire the field-piece on the deck below ?" "No, I did not; that was done by Captain Pecklar." "My brother will have him hanged when he gets hold of him," added Percy, shaking his head.
"Very likely he will if he gets hold of him, but we don't intend to let him get hold of him." Christy left the pilot-house, and went out on the hurricane deck, where he could better see all that was to be seen, and be alone with his own thoughts.

His first care was to ascertain the position of his most active enemy, the long-boat.

He could see it a short distance astern of the tug.

It had changed its course, and was following the Leopard, which was now gaining rapidly upon it.
Directly ahead of the tug was the Bellevite, not more than a quarter of a mile distant; but while she was going off to the north-west, the Dauphine had kept more to the southward and was now nearer than the steamer of Captain Passford.
The remark which Captain Pecklar had made when he came partly upon the hurricane deck, that the Bellevite had changed her course because Major Pierson had been fool enough to fire at the tug, came up in Christy's mind again.