nd nothing left in the way of
log or papers to tell how the barque had fallen in with the wretches.
The crew had probably been surprised, and after a desperate resistance,
when driven back into the cabin, fought to the last with the results we
had seen.

"But surely they must have killed or wounded some of the pirates?" I
said.

"Possibly," replied Mr Brooke; "but there has been rain since; perhaps
a heavy sea, too, has washed over the deck and swept away all traces
here. Let's hope they made some of them pay dearly for their work."

A short inspection below showed that the barque's planking was crushed
in, and that she was hopelessly damaged, even if she could have been got
off, so soon after Mr Brooke gave the word to return to the boat.

"I shall not touch the fire," he said. "If the captain has any wishes
the boat can return. For my part I should say, let her burn."

The captain listened with his brow contracted to Mr Brooke's recital,
when we were back on board; I being close at hand, ready to answer a few
questions as well.

"Yes, let her burn," said the captain; and then he turned his back to
us, but seemed to recollect himself directly, for he turned again.

"Thank you, Mr Brooke," he said. "Very clear and concise. You could
not have done better."

Then turning to the first lieutenant, he said in a low voice--

"Reardon, I'm at my wit's end. The wretches are too cunning for us.
What are we to do?"

CHAPTER SEVEN.

BEING PRIMED.

There was a consultation in the cabin that evening, as we lay there
about four miles from the stranded barque. It had fallen calm, and, as
there was no urgency, the captain preferred to spare the coals, and we
waited for a breeze.

I heard afterwards from Mr Brooke all that took place during the
discussion, during which the captain heard the principal officers'
opinions, and then decided what he would do.

There had been doubts before as to whether we were on the right track
for the pirates, who might be carrying on their murderous business
elsewhere, but the day's discovery had cleared away the last doubt; it
was plain that the information which had sent us up in the neighbourhood
of Amoy was perfectly correct, that the wretches were there, and that
our presence had kept them quiet till now.

The great difficulty, it was decided, lay in the manner of dealing with
people who without doubt had plenty of spies out in native craft, who
were passed unnoticed b