arines and attack the fort in the rear. Very
little time longer elapsed before the _Gnat_, the leading vessel, got
within range of the junks, which immediately began to blaze away with
their guns and gingalls, she and her smaller consorts returning the fire
with interest. Two large junks lay directly in the way; one, after the
first round was fired, began to settle down so rapidly that many of the
crew must have sunk with her, while the rest were seen swimming like a
shoal of tadpoles towards the shore. The other, a fine-looking vessel,
stood out longer.

"Fire at te deck, at te deck!" cried Po-ho; "she my ship; no sink her!"

A volley of musketry made the pirate crew quit the vessel and follow
their companions on shore, while the _Round Moon_ remained floating
tranquilly, although Captain Murray fully expected to see her burst out
into flames and blow up as the others had done. Po-ho entreated that he
might go on board to prevent any such catastrophe; and he was allowed
the dingy and a couple of men that he might take possession of his
vessel. He might have been safer on board the _Gnat_, for several shot
from the fort struck the junk as the man-of-war glided in between her
and the shore. So close did the _Gnat_ get that the guns of the fort,
which were trained at too high an elevation, sent their shot over her;
while the shells, round shot, and rockets, which she poured into the
fort, were apparently producing havoc among its defenders. First one
gun was silenced, then another, but the remainder continued blazing
away, either at the gun-boat or at the other boats.

The report that Tom Rogers had been taken prisoner soon spread among the
boats of the _Empress_, and from them to the boats of the other ships,
no one exactly knowing how it had happened. There was a search on board
each junk captured, in the hopes of discovering him, as junk after junk
was taken. Several, however, which were farther from those first
attacked, slipped their cables and tried to run on shore; some were
overtaken before they had time to do so; others were set on fire by the
pirates and blew up, and the remainder succeeded in effecting their
purpose.

A good many of the prisoners, however, were taken, who either could not
swim or had not time to make their escape. The British casualties were
very small, as only two or three of the junks showed fight. One of the
largest fired away until the boats were close up to her; she then cut