ures came tumbling up the hatchway. Carefully
conducting the lady to her cabin, the old seaman raised his cap,
uncovering his grey hair as he did so, and bade her good night. The
next moment he was on deck, pointing out to the astonished passengers
the danger. Mr Lowe stood by the arm-chest, concealed by the bulwarks,
distributing the arms, and the whole crew were now alarmed.

"See," said Captain Weber; "there, they separate. Yonder two boats will
board on the brig's bows, the third on her quarter."

"They are ready for the dash," replied the soldier, "and think us
unprepared."

"Creep forward and train the nine-pounder on them, Captain Hughes."

Sheltering under the bulwarks, Hughes obeyed. The gun was already
loaded with rifle bullets, and heavily charged. The boats came
leisurely on, for all on board the brig seemed buried in sleep. The dip
of the muffled oars could hardly be distinguished even by those who were
watching, consequently the noise could never have awoke men asleep. The
wash of the wave made itself heard on the beach, and so still was the
night that the quack of the ducks, and the call of the widgeon and wild
geese feeding among the reeds, came on the air. On the forecastle the
creaking of a gun-carriage told that Captain Hughes was not idle, and
those in the boat heard it too. They stopped rowing, the three drawing
closely together, apparently in consultation. This was the moment the
captain chose, and the loud hail, "Boat ahoy!" rang out from the
quarter-deck. A shrill yell and a musket-shot was the reply, followed
by the boom of the forecastle gun, as it scattered its bagful of rifle
bullets right among them. The aim had been deliberate and deadly. The
loud scream of agony, the yell of vengeance, replied to by the cheer of
the English seamen, rang out in the silent night. One boat had been
sunk, and its crew apparently either killed or drowned, for not waiting
to rescue them the other two dashed on with a wild scream for vengeance.
Leaving the useless gun, for there was no time to load it again, Hughes
and the three men on the forecastle made their way aft.

A spattering fire now ran along the brig's deck, replied to from the two
boats, as they dashed on, the one for the bow, the other on the quarter.
In a few seconds, the Malays were alongside. Grasping the rigging,
their long knives between their teeth, they swarmed over the bulwarks
fore and aft.

The deadly musketry struck t