"Do as you please. But are you going to keep off or not?"
"We'll not keep off."
"Then I'll fire on you."
"If you do so, we'll fire in return," said Sam. "Maybe we can scare him too," he added, in a whisper.
"I don't believe you've got any weapon," came from Mumps, in a voice that the toady tried in vain to steady. If there was one thing Mumps was afraid of it was a gun or a pistol.
"Try us and see," said Tom. Then he raised his voice. "Harris, bring up that brace of pistols you said were in the locker."
"All right," answered the sailor, catching at the ruse at once; and he hurried below, to return with two shining barrels, made of the handles of a dipper and a tin pot. He held one of the tin barrels out at arm's length. "Shall I fire on 'em now?" he demanded at the top of his voice.
"Don't!" shrieked Mumps, and dropped out of sight behind the mainmast of the Flyaway.
The toady had scarcely uttered the word when a loud report rang out, and a pistol bullet cut its way through the mainsail of the Searchlight. Baxter had fired his gun, but had taken good care to point the weapon over the Rover boys' heads. The bully now ran for the cabin, expecting to re-
