Captain Bruno called Silva to him again.  They held a consultation for some minutes.  They looked at the corvette, and then at their own sails. The result was, that some of the people were summoned aft, and once more the long guns were run out, and, watching their opportunity, as the stern of the vessel lifted, they opened fire on their pursuer.  "If we could but knock away their fore-topmast with all that spread of canvas on it, we should very soon run her out of sight," observed Silva, stooping down to take aim.  He fired.  The canvas stood as before; but, as far as we could judge, the shot had reached the man-of-war, and hands were seen going aloft to repair some damage which it had caused.