n the confusion. Be ready, my lads, and then,
you know, down with your rifles. Cutlasses must do it afterwards."

A few minutes of intense excitement followed, during which time every
man sat with his finger on the trigger, listening to the regular beat of
the prahu's long oars as she came sweeping down at a rapid rate,
evidently bent upon making her escape, like her consort, out to sea.

"If we only had a bow gun," muttered the lieutenant. "No you be still,
Roberts," he continued; "you are weak and done up."

"I think I could manage a rifle now, Mr Johnson," said the lad, with
his teeth chattering from cold.

"I don't," was the abrupt reply. "Now, my lads, not a sound; we have a
disgrace to wipe out, and this prahu must be ours."

By this time the long swift boat was rapidly approaching, quite
invisible to the little party of English, but audible enough; and they
waited eagerly till it seemed as if she was bearing down upon them,
when, with a short, sharp warning first to be ready, the lieutenant gave
the word _Fire_! when about fifteen rifles went off almost like one,
their flashes lighting up the darkness for an instant, and displaying
close upon them the long dark prahu, with a long bank of oars, coming
down fast.

"Oars! Give way!" shouted the lieutenant; and almost as he spoke, the
prahu changed her course so rapidly that there was but little rowing
needed, for instead of avoiding them, the vessel came right at the
English boat, trying to run her down, being so nearly successful that
she ripped her down to the water's edge just by the bows. There was a
crash of breaking oars; but the Malay boat dashed rapidly away, leaving
the English helpless and sinking on the river.

"Catch this boat cloak," cried the lieutenant who was ready enough in
the emergency. "Stuff it in, and one of you sit back against it."

"It'll take two on us, sir," cried the man, who rapidly obeyed orders,
and to some extent checked the rush of water.

"Two of you begin baling," cried the lieutenant next; and then, as he
saw that all their efforts would only just keep them afloat, "There, my
lads," he said, "we've done our best. One more volley and then I think
we had better run her ashore."

Another volley was fired, to give warning to the steamer that there was
something extraordinary on the way, and then the boat's head was turned
to the shore; but as they found that by constant baling they could just
keep afloat, the lieute