for food
and water. At one side of the tableland there was a break in its
surface and a bench of some dozen acres lay perhaps twenty feet below
our retreat. We cautiously worked our way down to this portion and
there to our delight found a number of fan-shaped traveller's palms
and monkey-cups full of sweet water, which with two wild sago palms
we calculated would keep us alive a few days at all events.

We were much encouraged at this discovery, and that night collected
a lot of brush from the lower plain and lit a big fire on the
most exposed part of the rocks. We did not care if it brought a
thousand more pirates as long as it attracted the attention of a
passing ship. Two good nine-pounders would soon send our foes in all
directions. We relieved each other in watching during the night, and
by sunrise we were all completely worn out. The third day was one of
weariness and thirst under the burning rays of the tropical sun. That
day we ate the last of our ship biscuit and were reduced to a few
drops of water each. Starvation was staring us in the face. There
was but one alternative, and that was to descend and make a fight
for our boat on the beach. The bo's'n volunteered with three men to
descend the defile and reconnoitre. Armed only with their cutlasses
and a short axe, they worked their way carefully down in the shadow
of the rocks, while we kept watch above.

All was quiet for a time; then there arose a tumult of cries, oaths,
and yells. The captain gave the order, and pell-mell down the rift
we clambered, some dropping their muskets in their hurried descent,
one of which exploded in its fall. The bo's'n had found the beach
and our boat guarded by six pirates, who were asleep. Four of these
they succeeded in throttling. We pushed the boat into the surf,
expecting every moment to see one of the praus glide around the
projecting reef that separated the two inlets. We could plainly
hear their cries and yells as they discovered our escape, and with
a "heigh-ho-heigh!" our long-boat shot out into the placid ocean,
sending up a shower of phosphorescent bubbles. We bent our backs to
the oars as only a question of life or death can make one. With each
stroke the boat seemed almost to lift itself out of the water. Almost
at the same time a long dark line, filled with moving objects, dashed
out from the shadow of the cliffs, hardly a hundred yards away.

It was a glorious race over the dim waters of that tropical sea. I