ies, either at Smyrna or
at Rhodes. They will make short work of them, I fancy."

As soon as the first gleam of dawn appeared in the sky the boats were
called alongside. Those of the _Tigress_ were hoisted up, and the men in
the others were given the jackets of the prisoners, some having turbans
and some the Greek headgear. These garments had also been stripped from
the dead before the bodies were thrown overboard, and were laid in a
heap in readiness for those on deck to put on when they approached the
bay. When it became daylight they were not more than a mile and a half
from the islands. The men in the boats had been warned not to row too
regularly; and those on board had already put on their disguises. As
they passed between two of the islets exclamations of satisfaction burst
from Wilkinson and Edgar, for six vessels were anchored behind the
largest of these. The brig's head was turned towards them, and as they
approached shouts of welcome and exultation could be heard from their
crews.

The craft were of various sizes, two of them were not above thirty tons
burden, and each carried two light guns, the others were from fifty to a
hundred and fifty tons, and carried from six to twelve guns. The
_Tigress_ was within about four hundred yards of the line when the helm
was put down, as if to take her in between two of the largest craft.
Then Wilkinson, who, with Edgar, were both in the Turkish disguises,
waved his hand for the men in the boats to come alongside. As they did
so there was a shout of surprise from the crew of the nearest vessel,
for there was no mistaking the sailors' white trousers for the baggy
integuments of the Turks. At the same moment the port-holes opened, the
guns were run out, and before the last man had gained the deck, the ten
guns poured in their broadsides.

By Wilkinson's orders three on each side were trained on the craft
nearest to them, the remaining two on each broadside being aimed at the
vessels next to these. The guns had all been double-shotted, and at the
same moment the broadsides were fired the ensign was run up to the peak.
A wild hubbub of shouts of astonishment, fury, and alarm rose from the
pirate ships, and were re-echoed by numbers of men belonging to their
crews, clustered on the shore, to see the prize brought in. Some ran to
their guns and began to load them, others jumped into their boats or
sprang overboard and swam towards the shore. As fast as the guns on
board the