of junks. Tom observed
several men climbing up to the top of a rock, from whence he judged that
they could see what was going forward. He naturally felt very anxious
to do the same, and made signs to the girl for her permission. She
nodded her consent, and the pirates made no objection to his joining
them. As, however, they watched the fight and saw junk after junk blow
up, and others towed away by the boats, their countenances assumed a
still deeper scowl than usual, while their hands ominously clutched
their swords; still, they did not make any effort to molest him, and he
was permitted by his guards to remain where he was and see the fight.
At length he observed the large junk attacked by the boats, and, after a
hot fight, run on shore. Shortly afterwards he caught sight of the
marines appearing from under the shelter which had concealed them, and,
with a party of blue-jackets, making a desperate assault on the rear of
the fort towards the right hand. Slight preparations only had been made
for its defence, and but scarcely a minute had elapsed before he saw the
red-coats, flanked by the blue-jackets, climbing up the embankment, and
bounding like red and blue balls over the parapet.

At first the pirates gave way, allowing the entrance of the whole force,
and from the height he could clearly see all that was going forward in
the inside. Before the victorious party had got half-way across they
were met by a band of savage-looking fellows led by a big captain, who
quickly rallied the fugitives. The pirate chief, for such Tom guessed
he was, fought with the greatest desperation, but he and his men could
not long withstand the points of the British bayonets, and the sharp
edges of their cutlasses. Tom now saw the chief fall, with a dozen of
his men round him, while the rest giving way, made their escape out by
the left gate, and were seen scampering away in hot haste across the
country.

Tom, as he saw this, felt himself in no very enviable position. The
villains into whose hands he had fallen might revenge the death of their
companions by murdering him, but he maintained as indifferent a manner
as he could assume, while he watched the countenances of those
surrounding him. He had the satisfaction of observing that instead of
thinking of killing him, they themselves were evidently much alarmed.
They were, indeed, completely separated from the fugitive pirates, and
should they leave their cover, they would to a