, sir?" he said.

"No thankye, marine. Very quick and well done of you. There, Mr
Herrick; now you see why I told you to look out."

"The brutes!" I cried excitedly; "they're not worth trying to save."

"No," he said; "but we must do it. I suppose they don't believe much in
the mercy they'll get from us; so there's no wonder. Look at that!"

I turned my head in the direction in which he pointed, and saw what he
meant. Five men were clinging to a piece of floating wreck about fifty
yards away, and three more left the plank to which they had been
clinging as we approached, and swam to join them.

I looked at the first group, fully expecting to see them hold out their
hands to help their comrades; but in place thereof, I saw one wretch,
who occupied the best position on the floating mass of wreck, raise a
heavy piece of bamboo with both hands, and bring it down with a crash
upon the head of the first man who swam up.

"Yah, you cowardly beggar!" roared one of the boat's crew. "I've marked
you."

"Nice wild-beasts to save, Mr Herrick," said the warrant officer. "I
feel as if I should like to open fire on them with my revolver."

"It's too horrible," I panted. "Look, look, Mr Grey!"

"I'm looking, my lad," said my companion. "Give way, my boys; let's
stop it somehow."

For there was a desperate fight going on at the piece of wreck; three
men, knife in hand, were trying to get upon the floating wood, and those
upon it stabbing at them to keep them off.

But, in their despair, the swimmers made a dash together, regardless of
the blows, climbed on, and a terrible struggle began.

"Starn all!" roared Mr Grey; and the boat's progress was checked. We
were backed away just in time, for the pirates were all now on one side
of the piece of wreck, thinking of nothing but destroying each other's
lives, and heaped together in what looked like a knot, when the side
they were on slowly sank, the far portion rose up and completely turned
over upon them, forcing them beneath the water, which eddied and boiled
as the struggle still went on below the surface.

"Give way, my lads," said the officer sternly; "let's try and save some
of the others."

"Ay, ay," cried the man who had shouted before. "These here arn't worth
saving."

The boat swept round in a curve, and we pulled off for another group,
kneeling and crouching upon what seemed to be a yard and a mass of
matting-sail.

Mr Grey stood up.

"Now, my lads