e
strong current which was then making, she would most certainly be
drifted on to the reefs. A boat expedition was the only means left for
doing anything. Immediately all the boats of the ship were manned, with
guns in their bows, and this time the crews went well-armed. Away they
pulled, resolving, if they did not find the two young officers, to make
the pirates pay dearly for their loss. The rest of the fire-ships had
burnt out, so it was now quite dark. The men were in their usual
spirits when fighting was to be done, and were highly pleased at the
thoughts of getting alongside the villains with whom they had hitherto
been playing at long bowls--a game to which Jack had a great dislike.
Terence had Needham in his boat. They had pulled for a considerable
distance, and Adair thought that they ought to be up with the enemy.

"Can you manage to make out the junks, Dick?" he sang out.

"No, sir, I can see nothing ahead whatever," was the unsatisfactory
answer.

So they pulled on yet farther. Still no junks were to be seen. On
proceeded the flotilla, till they had considerably passed the spot where
Mr Cherry and Adair had fallen in with the enemy. Mr Cherry
considered that it was not prudent to separate, so kept the boats
together. After again pulling some way to the east, they first took a
northerly course, and then swept round again towards the south, but not
a trace of a boat or vessel of any sort could they discover. Just
before dawn, very considerably disappointed, the expedition returned to
the frigate. As the sun rose, a breeze sprang up, and once more the
anchor was weighed, the sails were let fall, and the frigate stood out
of her perilous position. A steady hand in each of the main chains kept
the lead going, while the master, with anxious countenance, stood on the
bowsprit issuing his orders as to how the ship was to be steered.

"Starboard!" he cried.

"Starboard!" was the answer, with a long cadence.

"Port!"

"Port it is!" sounded from aft.

"Steady!"

"Steady!" the seeming echo answered.

Now the ship was tacked; now she cut into the wind's eye; now she was
kept away; now coral rocks rose up close to her; now the channel was so
narrow that it seemed as if there was not room for her to pass through
it. Everybody breathed more freely when she was at last in clear water
again. What had become of the junks it was impossible to say. Not a
sail was to be seen from the mast-head. Altog