reater
distance. They would be up to the ship in twenty minutes or so, and it
would take them but a fearfully short time to perform their work of
murder and pillage if they were so minded. Still we hoped that the crew
would fight, and, at all events, keep them at bay until we could come
up. The pirates were calculating, it was evident, on the wind falling,
of which there appeared every probability. Several times the lower
canvas had given some ominous flaps against the masts, while the
studding-sails hung down from the booms emptied of wind; still the
royals filled and forced the brig along.

Our glasses were constantly turned, now towards the ship on shore, now
towards the pirate fleet. It showed great hardihood on the part of the
Malays that they should still continue their course, while our vessel,
which they must have supposed to be a man-of-war, was so close to them.
They were trusting, we thought, to their numbers, and to the rapidity
with which they could make their escape among the coral reefs, where no
sailing vessel could follow them. They were getting closer and closer,
while we were making scarcely two knots an hour through the water. What
means of defence the ship might possess we could not tell. Even if she
had guns she would, as the captain remarked, be unable to work them with
her deck inclined as it now was. We could only hope that the tide was
rising, and that if so she might get on an even keel, although her crew
might not be able to haul her off.

We carried, I should have said, a light whale boat, remarkable for her
speed; she pulled four oars, and held three persons besides. The wind
provokingly tantalised us, now it filled the sails and then again
allowed them to hang loosely down from the yards.

I had gone forward with the first mate that we might watch the ship and
the headmost of the prahus. He several times sent me aft that I might
take a look astern to see if there were any signs of the breeze
increasing. On each occasion I had to make the same report.

"She's lifting, she's lifting?" exclaimed Uncle Jack, at length; "see,
she's making signals. Run, Harry, and get the signal book, we will try
and learn what she is saying."

I quickly returned with the book, but the wind was so light that the
flags did not blow out. "A breath of air for a single moment would
enable us to see what they are," observed the first mate, watching them
through his telescope. Just then one flag fl