The deck of the steam-yacht was not very far above the water, and if a boat full of desperate men could get alongside of the ship, it would not be a very difficult matter for them to mount the side.
"Port a little," said Christy to the quartermasters at the wheel.

"Keep her well over to the west shore.

Steady." A moment later the steamer had her course for passing the Vampire, and Christy left the pilot-house to obtain a better view of the situation and movements of the enemy.

It was not so dark as to prevent him from seeing all that was going on upon her deck, for the Bellevite had to pass within pistol-shot of her to avoid getting aground on the edge of the channel.
Sampson and the rest of the old ship's company gathered near him, where they could see over the rail.

The oiler, as Paul Vapoor had instructed him to do, had armed all these men with a cutlass and a revolver, and very likely some or all of them would have been glad to make use of them.
"They are loading into a boat on the port side of the Vampire, sir, and it looks as though they intended to do something without delay," said Sampson; and, as the steamer had come about since she was disabled, this was the side nearest to the shore.
"I see that they are hurrying some movement with all their might," replied the midshipman, watching with the most intense interest the operations of the enemy.