to the junks at anchor, and appeared to be gaining the victory. As soon
as they could, the midshipmen ran to the ladies' cabin to tell them what
had occurred, and to give them such consolation as they had to offer.

"But could not we manage to make the vessel sail and run away?"
exclaimed Cecile, with considerable animation, as if a bright thought
had struck her.

"I wish we could, Miss Dubois," said Jack; "but there is no wind, and we
have not strength to hoist these heavy mat sails of the junk."

"Ah! but I will help you, and so will mamma, I am sure," answered the
young lady.

"Mamma would be of great assistance in hoisting, I doubt not," said
Jack, looking with an expression of humour, which he could not repress,
towards the weighty dame. "We'll try what can be done." They could not
venture to remain long in the cabin, so they hurried back on deck. They
were as much puzzled as ever to know what next to do. Their great fear
was that the pirates would return from the shore and prevent any attempt
they might make to escape. When they told the American captain what
Miss Cecile had proposed, he said that she was a brave young lady for
thinking of such a thing; that perhaps a breeze might come off the land,
and that if it did, they would try and sway up the foresail. Scarcely
had they come to this resolution, when, by the flashes of the guns, they
saw a boat pulling a short distance ahead of them. The American captain
hailed. A voice answered immediately in English. "Why, that's one of
my men, as I'm a freeborn American!" exclaimed the captain. "Come here;
be smart now." In less than a minute one of the boats of the brig came
alongside with three seamen in her. They had been captured by a junk,
and, finding the boat floating astern, they had taken the opportunity,
during the confusion of the battle, of jumping into her and pulling off.
The boat was too large for the three men to manage, and they would
probably have been lost had they got outside. Not a moment was wasted
in bringing the two ladies from the cabin, and in lowering them into
her. Captain Willock and his mate, and Jos and Hoddidoddi followed, and
they were hurriedly shoving off, eager to get away from the junk, when
Murray asked the rest if they were going to live on air, and reminded
them that they would all be starved if they had not a supply of
provisions.

"Very right, sare," observed Jos; "me go find food."

Accordingly he and the t