s it afterwards turned
out, resulted in a benefit to some of those in the gun-boat, which they
did not think of at the time. As they overtook the prow, Pungarin
ordered the starboard rowers to cease. Those on the port side continued
to pull, and in a few seconds the prow's broadside was brought to bear
on the approaching enemy. Not till they were within a hundred yards did
the pirate leader again speak. Then his powerful voice resounded
through his vessel:--

"Fire!"

At the word every piece on board the prow, great and small, belched
forth a volume of smoke, flame, and metal, but the result was trifling.
In his anxiety to do deadly execution, the pirate had overdone his work.
He had allowed his foe to come too close, and most of the discharge
from the heavy guns passed over her, while the men with small arms,
rendered nervous by prolonged delay, fired hastily, and, therefore,
badly. A few wounds were suffered, and many narrow escapes were made,
but in other respects the discharge passed by harmlessly. The captain,
in his exposed and elevated position on the bridge, felt, indeed, as if
a thunder-shower of iron hail had passed, not only round, but through
him! He paid no regard to it, however, but held straight on. Next
moment there was a dire collision; the prow went under water, and the
surface of the sea was covered with shouting and struggling men.

The boats were quickly lowered, as on the previous occasion, and most of
the people were rescued, though, of course, some who could not swim were
drowned.

The scene that now ensued was very exciting, and in some respects very
terrible, for, besides the gurgling cries of the perishing, there were
the defiant yells of the pirates, who, more fiercely than those in the
other prows, resisted being taken alive, and used their creases and
knives with deadly effect.

This naturally filled the conquerors with such indignation that in many
cases they killed the pirates who showed fight, instead of disarming and
capturing them.

At last every one in the water was either saved, killed, drowned, or
captured, with the exception of one man, whose red jacket clearly
pointed him out as the pirate-chief. Being greatly superior to his
fellows in mental and physical powers, it was natural that he should
excel them in his efforts to escape. Even after the whole affair was
over, this man, who might have been a hero in other circumstances,
continued to baffle his pursuers.