.

"Ali Tomba, you or your people have played us that trick!" exclaimed the
boatswain.

The serang made no answer, but a cry of mocking laughter was heard from
several quarters. Roger Trew, lead in hand, flew to the chains. He
gave one heave. "No bottom," he cried. "We cannot bring up even if we
wish!"

I asked the boatswain what he proposed doing. "We ought to punish those
Lascars, for they have played us that trick," I observed.

"Little use to attempt to do that, Walter," he answered. "If I was a
navigator I might know more about it, but my only notion is to let the
ship drive. When the hurricane is over, we must try to do our best to
regain the harbour."

"I am not much of a navigator yet," I observed, "but I will look at the
captain's chart, and see whereabouts we are going. We shall, at all
events, better know then what to do."

"Ah, there's nothing like learning," observed Tarbox; "I wish I had more
of it. What a seaman can do I will do, and with your help, Walter, we
may still weather this gale."

I hurried into the cabin, and soon found the chart. It afforded me but
little satisfaction, however. We were driving to the southward, but
several islands were in our course. We might escape them, but if driven
against them, our destruction would be certain. With sails unbent, and
short-handed as we were, we could scarcely hope to be able to get under
the lee of one of the islands.

"We must try it, though," said Tarbox. "We have another anchor and
cable, and that will hold us well enough in a moderate breeze with land
to windward, unless these Lascar fellows play us another trick. I
should like to clap them all in irons at once."

I agreed with him, but as we only mustered twelve men besides ourselves,
and they numbered eleven, it would be no easy matter to do so,
especially as they would probably be prepared for an attack. I,
however, advised the boatswain to keep all our people together, that in
case the Lascars purposed our destruction, we might not, at all events,
be cut off in detail. He agreed to the wisdom of this caution, and sent
Roger Trew to get the people together.

Our position was indeed a very fearful one. The hurricane seemed rather
to increase in strength than to cease. On, on we drove. The helm was
put up, and we scudded before it, the dark seas rising on either hand
hissing and foaming, and every moment seeming about to overwhelm us. I
could not help feeling also gr