Nearer and nearer crept the junks. For some time no people
were killed on board the one which had captured the midshipmen. This
made her captain and crew grow bold, and approach still nearer to the
_Blenny_.

"They would be wiser if they kept at a distance," observed Rogers;
"they'll catch it to a certainty."

"Perhaps they hope to bring the combat to a conclusion," remarked
Murray.

"They'll not do that, let me tell them, in a hurry," exclaimed Jack;
"they little think what sort of a fellow they have to deal with in
Hemming. He'll give them more than they expect."

While Jack was speaking, several shots came crashing on board the junk,
killing five men, wounding others, and knocking away part of the
bulwarks. The wounded men set up the most terrific cries, and their
shipmates, anxious to avoid a second edition of the same dose, put
about, and sculled off to a more respectful distance. Another junk, the
next in the line, was not so fortunate. The greater part of a broadside
struck her. The midshipmen saw her reel with the shock, and immediately
she began to sink lower and lower, till down she went, and the water
washed over the spot where she had just before floated. Numbers of her
crew went down with her or followed her to the bottom. Very few of the
neighbouring junks took the trouble of lowering their boats to pick up
the remainder, and numbers were drowned in sight of their countrymen, by
whom, with a little exertion, they might have been saved.

The engagement had now lasted several hours, and neither side had gained
any material advantage. Some junks had been sunk, and a good many
Chinamen killed; but as a set-off against this, there could be no doubt
that the brig had lost several men. Jack, too, observed that she now
only fired when the junks pressed very close round her, and he could not
but suspect that she was running short of ammunition. The evening was
drawing on. It was a question whether darkness would favour the crew of
the brig, or make her enemies bolder. She at length ceased firing, and
manning all her sweeps, she began to move forward, very clearly with the
intention of fighting her way out from among the pirates.

"She is coming towards us. Hurrah!" cried Jack. "Now if we could but
knock the fellows aboard here on the head, we might render her some
help."

"Don't be trying that on," said Captain Willock. "We shall only lose
our lives if we make the attempt."

"But I must