as they were pulling as
hard as they could lay their backs to the oars. They saw the enemy too,
and knew the horrible fate which would be ours should we be overtaken.
We, of course, however, had no intention of yielding as long as we could
defend ourselves; we had our arms therefore ready for instant use. Hard
as our crews pulled, the prahus appeared to be coming up with us. Every
instant they became more distinct, and we had little doubt that they
must see us. I had begun to despair of escaping when the first mate
raised our spirits by announcing that he saw the light in the brig's
rigging in the distance. It was to be hoisted on the fore stay that in
case we should return at night we might know where to find her. It was
indeed fortunate that this arrangement had been made, or we might have
run out to sea without observing her. We now altered our course, hoping
that the Malays might possibly shoot by the brig before they discovered
that the light was on board her. The first mate hailed the brig as we
approached.

"We are pursued by a fleet of pirates. Stand by to hoist in the boats,
and to make sail as soon as we are on board."

The captain hailed in reply, "We are on the alert. Pull up one on each
quarter."

The moment we got alongside the falls were slackened and we swarmed up
them, each man running to the tackles as he got on deck. The boats were
quickly hoisted in, when the crew ran aloft to loose the sails. The
wind was blowing down the river, but there was barely enough of it to
give the vessel steerage way, and without a stronger breeze we should
run the risk of drifting on shore. The cable, however, was hove short,
and we were ready at a moment's notice to stand out to sea. The dark
line of prahus were, however, in the meantime approaching, evidently, by
their appearance, with hostile intent.

As they drew nearer the pirates suddenly broke forth into loud cries,
sounding their trumpets and beating their gongs and tom-toms, apparently
with the intention of frightening us. We had our guns pointed at them
and the matches ready to fire the instant the captain issued the order,
but he was unwilling if it could be avoided to commence the fight, and
waited until they should show their hostile intentions. Of these we
were not long left in doubt. They had probably expected to surprise the
brig, but now, from having seen the boats ahead, they knew that we
should be on the alert. Again bursting forth