seemed to be glowing as if
red-hot in the glare shed by the golden cloud above the mountain. The
sight of their prey so close at hand set the Malays yelling more
fiercely than ever, and at a shout the sweeps ceased beating the water,
and every man seized his arms, when there was a peculiar hissing sound
heard; the cutter heeled over, then righted, and, to the wonder and
horror of all on board, she began to turn round slowly as upon an axis,
as if preparatory to being sucked down into a frightful whirlpool. In
one short minute she had turned twice, and then, as if caught in some
mighty current, began to glide rapidly round the bay at first toward the
burning mountain, and then outward to sea.

For the moment the horror and strangeness of their position made all on
board forget their enemies, among whom a terrible silence had fallen,
but as the captain glanced in the direction of the praus he saw that the
distance between them had increased, and that, caught in the same
wondrous current, the enemy's vessel was being carried rapidly out to
sea.

The force of the current increased till they seemed to be rolling along
the surface of some cataract, and in a few minutes, as everyone clung to
bulwark or stay, the distance they had striven so hard to compass was
passed again and again, for the sea was shrinking from the isle and they
were being carried out on the retiring wave.

They were now opposite the rocks that they had striven to pass, while
the prau, lighter in construction, was a hundred yards away. The
hissing, rushing sound of the retiring water was terrible, and in blank
despair in face of this awful convulsion of nature all gazed wildly
before them, when all at once there was a sharp shock, the cutter heeled
over a little, and this time there could be no mistake, she had struck
upon the rocks of the north point or arm of Crater Bay, and the sea was
retiring from them and leaving them fast.

CHAPTER FORTY SIX.

HOW SAFETY WAS WON.

The captain recovered himself, but he was helpless in such an emergency,
and no words passed. There was nothing to be done but wait.

"Are we in great danger, father?" whispered Mark, taking his hand.

"Yes, my boy, in great danger," replied the captain in a solemn whisper.
"I can do no more."

"What is the great danger?" said the major quietly. "That," said the
captain, pointing seaward. "The water retires like this, only to come
back in force. There: it is coming bac