ble to reach the gig first, and as he realised
this he paused for a moment, raised his gun and fired at the men.

This drew from them a savage yell, which seemed to be echoed from the
praus; when as if to intimidate enemies and encourage the men a small
gun was fired on board one of the vessels, and a little ball came
skipping over the sea, to go crashing into the jungle.

Morgan went on a few steps farther and fired again; but though his shots
evidently told, the men wincing and one falling, but only to spring up
again, the fire did not check their progress, and they were fast nearing
the gig.

Morgan made another desperate effort to reach it, when first one and
then another of the Malays hurled his spear, which went through the air
in a low curve.

Mark was now at the edge of the shallow water, with a blind feeling of
despairing rage urging him on, boy as he was. What he was about to do
he did not know himself. All he realised was that he must try and help
Mr Morgan, who, as the spears were hurled, fell headlong into the
deeper water, which splashed up around him glistening in the sun.

At this Mark uttered a groan and once more stopped short, as if
paralysed, while, with a yell of triumph at the apparent success of
their aim, the Malay boat came on and had nearly reached the gig.

But at that moment, as if moved by some other power, Mark raised the
revolver and fired point-blank at the advancing boat.

Again and then again he fired--three shots--each, as the little weapon
uttered its sharp ringing crack, sending a rifled bullet whizzing at the
Malays. One ball struck the water before them, and went over their
heads; the second passed before them, and the third struck one of the
rowers, who leaped up with a yell and fell overboard.

This checked the progress of the on-coming boat. But as they dragged
their wounded companion back into the boat they uttered another defiant
yell, and, in spite of the two remaining shots sent pinging at them
without effect, they reached the gig, and one man sprang in to cut the
grapnel line.

At that moment there was quite a little volley fired from the edge of
the jungle, the major and Gregory discharging four barrels at the
Malays, and then with a shout they and the six sailors came running down
the sands.

The man in the gig leaped back into the boat, and as the shots from the
fowling-pieces were supplemented by bullets from the men's pistols the
Malays rapidly paddled