anger to encounter. They were drifting down on one of the
fire-ships, and ran a great chance of being burnt. To avoid the
fire-ship, Jack was obliged to approach nearer the pirate-boat, which
had been keeping so as to leave the burning vessel between her and the
frigate. The miscreants now saw him, and dashing their paddles in the
water, were rapidly up to him. He fully expected that the next moment
would be his last; but he still held fast the senseless form of his
friend. He looked up for an instant, and saw the hideous countenances
of the Chinamen glaring down on him over the side of their boat.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

CHASING THE PIRATE FLEET.

Adair had just come on deck when Jack jumped overboard to save Murray,
and he was on the point of jumping in after him, when his arm was
seized, and he found himself held back by Captain Grant.

"You would uselessly risk your life, Adair!" exclaimed the captain.
"Lower that gig; be sharp about it: you may go in her."

Several men with Adair had instantly flown to the boat nearest them,
and, under the direction of the captain, were lowering her, when the
after-fall gave way, and up she hung by the bows, most of her gear
falling into the water, as did one of the two men in her. He was a good
swimmer, and struck out boldly to keep up alongside the ship, but the
current was too strong for him, and before a rope could be heaved to
him, he gradually dropped astern. The fall had been injured by one of
the enemy's shot. Another boat was now lowered, but in consequence of
the darkness, and the disarrangement incidental to the work in which the
men had been engaged, more delay than usual occurred. At last the boat
was lowered and manned, and Adair and Mr Cherry jumping into her, away
they pulled to pick up, in the first place, the poor fellow who had just
fallen into the water. They shouted out his name: a faint cry reached
their ears. He had already got a long way from the ship; it took some
time before they could find him. He must have sunk once, and they
caught him just as he came up again; he was insensible when they hauled
him into the boat. Adair wanted to go on, but Mr Cherry said that he
feared the man would die if they did, and that it was his duty to carry
him on board.

"I fear, too, that there is but little chance of our picking up the
other two poor fellows," he observed. "They must have drifted a long
way by this time, and can scarcely have kept af