The old man who had been playing the violin suddenly dropped it and snatched up a musket from behind the coil of rope on which he had been sitting.

The dancers ceased to dance, sprang away, and returned in an instant with muskets also.

Heavy pistols leaped from the shirts and blouses of the spectators, and up from the inside of the ship poured a swarm of men armed to the teeth.

A piece of cloth swiftly climbed the mainmast of the stranger also, reached the top, broke out there triumphantly, and the flag of England, over against the black flag, blew out steady and true in the strong breeze.
"God! A sloop of war!" exclaimed the captain.

"About, Carlos! Put her about!" But the sloop yawed quickly, her portholes opened, bronze muzzles appeared, tampions fell away, and a tremendous voice shouted: "Fire!" Robert saw a sheet of flame spring from the side of the sloop, there was a terrific crash, a dizzying column of smoke and the schooner seemed fairly to leap from the water, as the broadside swept her decks and tore her timbers.