ain, for one generally so
phlegmatic:--he seemed really to turn his back on the traditions of his
race.

We, though, rushed forwards; and, when close to the Silver Queen, the
lieutenant ordered the captain of the gun in the bows to "fire!" into a
junk that was coming round under her stern.

"Bang!" and a shell burst right in the centre of the junk's bamboo deck,
sending forty of the villains at least to Hades, for she was crowded
with men. A wild yell of surprise came from the pirates at the report
of the gun, succeeded by a faint hurrah from those on board the Silver
Queen. This told us that Captain Gillespie and the rest now knew, from
the second report caused by the bursting of the shell, that their
rescuers had at last arrived, in the very nick of time.

Then a big boom rolled in from seaward as the gunboat opened fire with
her five-inch Armstrong, shell and shot being pitched into the group of
junks as fast as those on board the Blazer could load; the launch and
pinnace, with Ching Wang and myself in the latter, pulling to the ship
and boarding her on both sides at the same time.

Captain Gillespie and all the hands who had been intrenched in the
cabin, now burst out of their prison; and after this, those pirates who
were not cut down by the men's cutlasses or shot, surrendered at
discretion, as did also their brother scoundrels on the island and in
the junks, who were all caught completely in a trap, there being no
creeks here for them to smuggle their boats into, nor mountain
fastnesses to retreat to, the gunboat commanding the only way of escape
open to them, and her launch and pinnace within the lagoon having them
at their mercy.

"Begorra I am plaized to say you ag'in, Misther Gray-ham, sorr!" cried
Tim Rooney, wringing my hand again and again as Mr Mackay released it--
all the poor fellows who had been relieved from almost instant death by
the coming of the gunboat seeming to think that I had brought about
their rescue, whereas, of course it was Ching Wang who ought to be
thanked, if anybody had to be praised, beyond Him above who had sent us
on our mission and brought the Blazer up in time. Tim, too, was even
more absurd about the whole matter than any of the rest.--"Bedad, you've
saved us all, sorr," said he again and again; and I could only get him
off this unpleasant tack by asking what further damage the pirates had
done after I left.

They had not done much, he said, their leader having only j