“I’ll not do that; for we might injure a friend.  What are those fellows in the felucca about now?”

“Why, they’ve got a small gun—­yes, it’s a twelve-pound carronade, under the tarpaulin, for’rard of their foremast, and they’re clearin’ it away for sarvice.  We shall have something doin’ ’fore the end of the week!”

“Bien—­it is as you say—­and, voila, they train the piece on the boats!”

As this was said, the felucca was half concealed in smoke.  Then came the discharge of the gun.  The shot was seen skipping along the water, at a safe distance from the leading boat certainly, and yet sufficiently near to make it pass for indifferent gunnery.  This leading boat was the Proserpine’s launch, which carried a similar carronade on its grating forward, and not half a minute was suffered to pass before the fire was returned.  So steady were the men, and so nicely were all parts of this plot calculated, that the shot came whistling through the air in a direct line for the felucca, striking its mainyard about half-way between the mast and the peak of the sail, letting the former down by the run.

“Human natur’!” ejaculated Ithuel—­“this is acting up to the contract, dollars and cents!  Captain Rule, they shoot better in sport than when they’re in downright airnest.”

“This looks like real work,” answered Raoul.  “A man does not often shoot away the mainyard of his friend on purpose.”

As soon as the crews of the boats saw the end of the yard come down, they ceased rowing and gave three hearty cheers, taking the signal from Griffin, who stood erect in the stern of the launch to give it.

“Bah!” cried Raoul—­“these are English John Bulls without a shadow of doubt.  Who ever knew the men of the republic shout like so many Italian fantoccini pulled by wires!  Ah!  Messieurs les Anglais, you have betrayed your secret by your infernal throats; now look to hear us tell the remainder of the story”

Ithuel rubbed his hands with delight, perfectly satisfied that Raoul could no longer be deceived, though the fire between the felucca and the launch was kept up with spirit, the shooting being such as might have done credit to a bona fide conflict.  All this time the sweep of the felucca were plied, the boats advancing at least two feet to the chase’s one.  La Divina Providenza might now have been three hundred yards from the lugger:  and the launch, the nearest of the pursuers, about the same distance astern of the felucca.  Ten minutes more would certainly bring the seeming combatants alongside of each other.