get on board her somehow or other," answered Jack, as he
spoke, kicking off his shoes and throwing off his jacket. It had now
grown very dark, though the constant flashes of the guns kept the scene
well lighted up. The _Blenny_ could be seen, though she had ceased
firing, gliding on towards them. The pirates had been taking no notice
of their prisoners for some time. The brig had got within a cable's
length of them.

"Now or never," cried Jack. "Alick, in case I am drowned, you'll do all
I have asked you." And without waiting for a reply, he sprang over the
side of the junk, and catching hold of a rope, let himself down into the
water without a splash, and struck off towards the brig. The pirates
did not understand what he was doing till he had reached the water; at
first they thought he was in despair going to drown himself, but when
they saw him swimming away they began to fire at him with the jingalls.
Favoured by the darkness, he was soon out of their sight. To avoid the
sweeps, he had to make a wide circuit, and he was pretty well tired when
he got under the stern of the brig.

"Brig ahoy. Heave a rope here, and help me aboard," he sang out.

"A man overboard!" exclaimed some one from the afterpart of the deck.

"Pass a rope here; be smart now. Heave!"

"Who is it? who is it?" cried several voices.

"It's I, Jack Rogers. Be quick, now, for I've had a long swim," cried
Jack. He soon got hold of the rope which was heaved to him, and was
hauled on board over the stern.

"What! Rogers, my dear fellow, is it you?" exclaimed Captain Hemming,
as he grasped his hand. "Where have you come from?"

Jack told him, and urged that they should immediately board the junk he
had left, and rescue the rest of the prisoners.

"My only doubt is, whether we can get alongside her," answered Captain
Hemming. "However, we will try. I am glad to engage in any work with
cold steel; but, Rogers, I am sorry to say that our ammunition is almost
expended, and though we will not yield as long as a man remains alive to
fight, I look with apprehension to what may occur." The brig was now
approaching the junk, which fired away furiously at her, but this did
not stop her progress, and before the pirates knew what was going to
happen, she dashed alongside.

"Lash her to the junk. Boarders, follow me." Jack had seized a
cutlass, and, dripping with wet, he sprang on board by the side of his
commander. "Alick, Captain Willo