the door, and said quickly--

"The surgeon saw all these men this morning?"

"Yes, sir," said the corporal, "not half an hour ago."

"He must be fetched to that man. The poor wretch is ready to faint."

"Yes, sir; he shall be fetched."

Mr Reardon bent down to look at the prisoner more closely.

"Hold the lantern nearer," he said.

The corporal lowered the light, which shone on the pirate's glassy eyes,
and there was a fixed look in his savage features which was very
horrible.

"Get some water for him," said Mr Reardon.

But hardly had the words left his lips when I was conscious of a rushing
sound behind me. I was dashed sidewise, and one of the prisoners, who
had made a tremendous spring, alighted on the lieutenant's back, driving
him forward as I heard the sound of a blow; the corporal was driven
sidewise too, and the lantern fell from his hand. Then came a terrible
shriek, and a scuffling, struggling sound, a part of which I helped to
make, for I had been driven against one of the prisoners, who seized me,
and as I wrestled with him I felt his hot breath upon my face, and his
hands scuffling about to get a tight grip of my throat.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

THE SEQUEL.

If ever I was active it was at that moment. I struck out with my
clenched fists, throwing all the power I possessed into my blows, and
fortunately for me--a mere boy in the grasp of a heavily-built man--he
was comparatively, powerless from loss of blood consequent upon his
wounds, so that I was able to wrest myself free, and stand erect.

At that moment the corporal recovered the lantern, and held it up,
showing that fully half the prisoners had left the spots where they were
crouching the minute before, and were making an effort to join in the
fray initiated by one of the savages of whom we had been warned.

It is all very horrible to write of, but I am telling a simple story in
this log of what takes place in warfare, when men of our army and navy
contend with the uncivilised enemies of other lands. In this case we
were encountering a gang of bloodthirsty wretches, whose whole career
had been one of rapine and destruction. The desire seemed to be innate
to kill, and this man, a prisoner, who since he had been taken had
received nothing but kindness and attention, had been patiently watching
for the opportunity which came at last. Just as Mr Reardon was
stooping to attend to his fellow-prisoner, he had made a tremendous
cat-like