and more intense, I was about to kneel down and speak to Mr
Reardon, and ask him to try and save himself.

But I started to my feet, for there was a louder yelling than ever, and
the pirates made quite a rush, which brought them abreast of us.

"Cutlasses!" I cried; and there was the rattle made in fixing them,
bayonet fashion, on the rifles, when--_boom_!--_thud_!--came the roar of
a heavy gun; there was a whistling shrieking in the air, and then
somewhere overhead an ear-splitting crash, followed by the breaking of
bushes and trampling down of grass and bamboo.

Then perfect silence, followed by a cheer from our men.

"Well done, _Teaser_!" shouted Tom Jecks.

It was a diversion which, I believe, saved us, for the enemy fled for
some distance, and gave us time to go on lightening the foremost boat.

But before we had been at work many minutes there was a cheer from close
at hand, and upon our answering it, another and another, with splashing
of oars, and the next minute I heard Mr Brooke's voice from beyond the
first boat.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

SAVED.

"Look sharp, sir," I said, after going forward, and in a few words
explaining our position.

"Right, my lad. Get your men together in the stern of your boat, and
keep up the fire, while we make fast and try and tow you off. Hi! quick
there!" he roared; and a cheer told us that another boat was close at
hand.

But my work was cut out, the men placed well under cover, and we waited
listening for the first sounds of the returning enemy, while from time
to time Mr Brooke's clear, short orders came out of the darkness behind
us, and we knew that he had sent a party into the fixed boat to rock it
from side to side. Then came a cheer, as the water rolled hissing and
whispering among the reeds; there was the simultaneous plash of oars,
and a creaking sound.

Then another sound from the bank of the creek, which I knew well enough.

"Say when, sir," whispered Tom Jecks. "They're a-coming on." To our
astonishment, for the enemy had crept forward so silently that we had
hardly heard a sound, there was a hideous yell, and a crashing volley,
the bullets hissing over our heads again, and once more the gong-beating
began.

"Fire!" I said.

"Yes, fire, my lads, steady--where you see the flashes of their
matchlocks."

The voice came from close to my ear.

"Mr Reardon!" I cried in astonishment.

"Yes, Herrick; that bullet quite stunned me for a minute