with so great
a display of courage, that the little party of Englishmen, in spite of
their heroic defence, were driven back step by step, till Lieutenant
Johnson began to bitterly regret that he had not signalled for help from
the fort.

His heart sank within him as, in spite of his bravery and the example he
set his men he saw them giving way on all sides.

Bob Roberts, young as he was, fought bravely and well, while Ali did
good service with his rifle. But all seemed in vain; the Malays were
gradually getting possession of the deck, and the question was arising
in the lieutenant's mind whether it would not be wiser to take refuge in
the cabin, and fire from thence as they could.

Men fell rapidly on either side, but while the Malays had three or four
to leap into the places of those who went down, every wounded Englishman
weakened the force terribly by his loss.

Still there was no sign of flinching, the men giving way solely from
being forced back by the numbers that pressed upon them.

Three times over by a determined rally did the lieutenant strive to
force the enemy back, but in vain; and the last time he nearly lost his
life, for the Malays made at him at once, and in his efforts to avoid
them he slipped and fell.

With a yell of triumph a couple of the enemy dashed at him spear in
hand, when there was a sharp double report from a rifle, and one leaped
in the air to fall flat on the deck beside his intended victim, the
other staggered back and retreated to the rear.

Those shots were fired by the young chief Ali, who coolly reloaded his
piece, and stood watching Bob Roberts, whose excitement was intense.

He had forgotten Dick and his instructions to the old sailor in the
fierce passions of the fray, and poor old Dick had gone down almost at
the first rush, to crawl afterwards under the bulwarks, where he bound
up his head, and lay watching the fight as he strove more than once to
join in.

But each time old Dick essayed to rise, a terrible sickness came over
him, and he sank back trying to recall some order he had received from
the midshipman, but unable to make out what it was.

He fainted away twice in his efforts to get up, and then lay back, sick
at heart, and with just enough consciousness left to know that the fight
was going against the English, and that he had it in his power to change
the fortunes of the day.

"What was it Mr Roberts told him to do? What was it Mr Roberts told
him to do