lly to remain in charge of the rest of the
crew.

Off the little party dashed, hoping without difficulty to capture some
of the pirates. The latter turned and fled, leading their pursuers to a
distance from the boat. Tom imprudently was rushing on considerably
ahead of his men when a volley fired from among some rocks laid three of
their number low. The rest halted to return the fire of their concealed
enemy, but, seeing no one, they let fly among the rooks, against which
their bullets were flattened, without doing further execution. Before
they could re-load a party of desperadoes sprang out, and seizing Tom,
dragged him along with them. In vain Tom endeavoured to free himself,
expecting every instant to feel the point of a sword, or its edge, at
the back of his neck. The survivors of his party charged bravely,
hoping to recover him; but another volley wounded two more, and, seeing
that they would all be cut off, they retreated towards the boat. They
would even now probably have been attacked had not Billy, showing
unusual discretion on hearing the firing, landed with the rest of the
men, and fired on the advancing pirates. What was his dismay to find
that Tom was not among those returning.

"Where is Mr Rogers?" he exclaimed.

"The pirates, sir, have got hold of him," answered Tim, who had
reluctantly returned. "If we are quick about it, and the rest can come
with us, we can overtake them, and we will get back Mr Rogers, at all
events."

Billy and the rest of the men could not resist this appeal, and were
rushing forward when they came to the three men who had fallen. One was
dead, but the other two were still living, though unable to walk. They
entreated that they might be carried back to the boat; and Billy,
finding that the pirates had disappeared, judged that there would be no
use in pursuing them, and he remembered also that he had been directed
to remain in the boat.

Notwithstanding, therefore, Nolan's remark, Billy ordered the men back
to the boat. Just at that instant the junk, from which their attention
had been diverted, and which had been in flames fore and aft, blew up
with a loud explosion, portions of the fragments being scattered far and
wide, many falling close to them.

"Shove off!" cried Billy; "not a moment must be lost."

His crew pulled away after the lieutenant and Desmond, in the hopes that
should they have succeeded in taking the two junks, of obtaining their
assistance an