ve-and-twenty seamen sprang up from each end of the vessel, and with a
tremendous cheer flung themselves upon the pirates. Taken completely by
surprise, and somewhat outnumbered, many of these were cut down or run
through by the pikes before anything like serious resistance could be
offered; then, headed by their leaders, they fought with the desperation
of cornered animals.

All of them carried pistols as well as yataghans. Some few of them ran
to the side, and with yells of fury leaped overboard to recapture the
boats. Pistols cracked on both sides, cutlass and yataghan clashed
together; but the British shouts rose high over the yells of the
pirates. In three minutes the fighting was virtually over, the greater
portion of the pirates lay dead on the deck; a few had jumped overboard,
and the rest, throwing down their arms, fell on their knees and cried
for mercy.

"That will do, men--that will do!" Wilkinson shouted; "scoundrels as
they are, we cannot kill them in cold blood. Get some lengths of rope,
boatswain, and tie them hand and foot."

The men who had leapt into the water and swam towards the boats did not
attempt to climb in when they saw three sailors in each, standing with
cutlass and pistol ready to oppose them, and they swam back towards the
brig. A rope was thrown to them, and they were permitted to climb up one
by one, being bound and laid by their comrades as they gained the deck.
None of the sailors had been killed, though several had received ugly
gashes.

"Now, boatswain, put the starboard watch into the boats; lower the two
ship's boats also--we will get as many oars to work as possible till
daylight."

Each of the captured boats rowed six oars, and thirty men were soon at
work towing the vessel towards the bay. The port watch then set to work
to clear the deck. The dead were all thrown overboard; the others were
unbound, made to strip off their jackets, then bound again and carried
down to the hold, the hatchway being closed on them. They found that
most of the survivors were Greeks, the Turks having to a man fallen
fighting.

"These mixed crews are worst of all," one of the Turks said. "The
Turkish pirates are bad enough, and so are the Greeks--there is little
to choose between them; but it is only the worst desperadoes who will
consort together. You did wrong to spare a man."

"We could not kill them when they threw down their arms," Wilkinson
said. "We will hand them over to your authorit