ire they are keeping up.
But those warships ought to thrash any number of them. Count the
ports, I can see them now."

"The biggest one," Tim said, "has got twenty-five."

"Yes; and the others eighteen and nine. They are two frigates, one of
fifty and the other of thirty-six guns; and a sloop of eighteen. I
can't make out the colours, but I don't think they're English."

"They're not English, yer honor," Tim said confidently, "or they would
soon make an end of them varmint that's tormenting them."

The scene, as the boats approached, was very exciting. The three ships
were pouring their broadsides, without intermission, into the pirate
fleet. This consisted of vessels of all sizes, from the Jupitre and
Restoration, down to large rowing galleys. Although many were sunk,
and more greatly damaged by the fire of the Dutch, they swarmed round
the great ships with wonderful tenacity; and, while the larger vessels
fought their guns against those of the men-of-war, the smaller ones
kept close to them, avoiding as much as possible their formidable
broadsides, but keeping up a perpetual musketry fire at their bulwarks
and tops, throwing stink pots, and shooting burning arrows through the
ports; and getting alongside under the muzzles of the guns, and trying
to climb up into the ports.

The four newly arrived craft joined in the fray.

"This is mighty unpleasant, yer honor," Tim said, as a shot from one
of the Dutch men-of-war struck the craft they were in, crashing a hole
through her bulwarks, and laying five or six of her crew upon the
deck, killed or wounded by the splinters. "Here we are, in the middle
of a fight in which we've no consarn whatever, and which is carried on
without asking our will or pleasure; and we are as likely to be killed
by a Christian shot, as these hathen niggers.

"Hear them yell, yer honor. A faction fight's nothing to it. Look, yer
honor, look! There's smoke curling up from a hatchway of the big ship.
If they haven't set her afire!"

It was as Tim said. A cloud of black smoke was rising from the Dutch
fifty-gun frigate. A wild yell of triumph broke from the Mahrattas.
The fire of their guns upon her redoubled, while that from the
man-of-war died away, as the crew were called off to assist in
extinguishing the flames. Now the smaller boats pressed still more
closely round her, and a rain of missiles was poured through the open
ports. Several times the Mahrattas climbed on board, but each time