in, who had been years and years in vessels trading
among the islands, said: 'You are right, Mr. Purvis, that is sweeps; and
what is more, it is not one boat, but I should say half a dozen.'

"'That is what I think,' the mate said. 'How far off should you say they
were?'

"'It is difficult to tell. I should say three or four miles. That is the
best of these proas. A canoe, if the men take pains with their paddling,
will come within a hundred yards of you before you hear them, but as the
proas row oars, you can make them out a long way off on a still night like
this.'

"'Well, we will wait a few minutes longer before we wake the skipper,'
Purvis said to me. 'He will swear that he does not hear any noise at all,
and that it is all our fancy. In ten minutes there will be no mistaking
it. Watkins, you had better get up that boarding-netting'--for among these
islands all the ships carry them, and very useful they are in repelling an
attack.

"'I have got it handy,' the boatswain said, and soon brought it on deck.
'Shall we lash it up, sir?'

"'No; we had better wait till the captain comes out. It won't take above a
couple of minutes, especially if you run it all along by the bulwarks.'

"In a few minutes the sound of the oars was unmistakable, and Purvis went
in to call the captain.

"'What is it?' the skipper said as the mate knocked.

"'There are five or six proas coming towards us, sir, and we have reason
to believe that the canoes on shore are all launched and ready to attack
us.'

"'I believe it is all nonsense,' the skipper said angrily as he came from
his door. 'You are always fidgeting about pirates, Mr. Purvis.'

"He came out on deck, listened a moment, and then said: 'Stuff and
nonsense! What, have you got the men out? Send them to their bunks at
once!'

"'With the greatest respect to you, sir, I shall do nothing of the sort,
and if I did the men would not obey me. They can all hear the proas, and
we are not going to submit to have our throats cut tamely, Mr. Pinder
thoroughly agrees with me, and so does the boatswain, that these proas can
be coming for no good purpose at this time of night, and it were madness
not to be ready for them. What do you say, Mr. Pinder?'

"'I entirely agree with you, sir,' I replied.

"'This is rank mutiny!' the skipper said furiously.

"'I would rather be tried for mutiny than have my throat cut here. Now,
sir, will you give orders, or shall I?'

"'I will give no ord