Part 27 (1/2)
It was dreary work, though, waiting, for ere going along very slowly on the torpid sea, which seemed to swelter in the heat as the breeze fell; but about two o'clock in the afternoon the south-ind springing up again, we once h the water at a quicker rate, the saht before wind and slacking off the sheet of our transforone into the bows to look out, leaving me at the tiller, suddenly called out:
”Hi, lilly pijjin!” he shouted, gesticulating and showing more exciteenerally being phleg Me see three piecee bamboo walkee, chop chop!”
I rose up in the stern-sheets equally excited; and there, toour bean and blood cross of Saint George, the ht
It was the gunboat, without doubt
She had sighted us long before we noticed her; and seeing fro our course now that we desired to speak her, she downed her helside the sampan
Breathless, I clambered on board, a sold letters on the ribbon of his straw hat, handing me the sidelines of the accoh down for unwale of the saunboat, a handsome fellow like Mr Mackay, addressed me, I could not at first speak from emotion
But my mission was too important to be delayed, and I soon foundsufficient to explain all the circumstances of the case to the lieutenant
”Full speed ahead!” he called out to the officer on the bridge, as soon as he had heardalso the blue-jacket who had received me at the entry port to pass the word down that he wanted to speak to the gunner; while Ching wang was invited to come on board and the sampan veered astern by its painter and taken in tow
The lieutenant turned to h he did not keepme by my name, which I had told hihtfall, Mr Grahaency like this I've no doubt we'll be in plenty of time to rescue your shi+pmates before they have another brush with the pirates”
He then invited o below and have some refreshment; but I was too anxious about those on board the poor Silver Queen to care about eating then However, I took a nice long drink of some delicious leue had swollen to the roof of , who had recovered his usual placid and imperturbable dereat co his appetite at any rate
If I did not care about eating, though, I was highly interested in the preparation of the Blazer presently for action, her five-inch breech- loaders being loaded with Palliser shell and the hoppers of her uns filled; while the creith rifles in their hands and cutlasses by their side mustered at quarters
”I think, Mr Grahaaze, ”we'll be able to teach your Malay friends so of a lesson--eh?”
”I hope so, sir,” I replied ”I don't think there's h I'm only afraid they'll run away before we can reach the ”The Blazer, as I've told you, can travel fast ant her; and if she's not fast enough, why, that gun there on the sponson forrud can send a speedier !”
”Will it reach them inside the reef, sir?”
”Reach the sort of way ”Of course it will, un will carry seven rees!”
”Oh, crickey!” I exclaihed at my astonishment, which h, ere near were too well trained to laugh, except according to orders Being men-o'-war's men, they only s on for sunset e sighted the Pratas shoal, theseen ot to rounded; and, as we got nearer and nearer, we did not hear any noise of rifle shots, or the junks' hting again--my comrades I was certain would die dearly
I hoped that they had not begun yet; for I could not bear to think that their fate ht have been sealed in my absence, and all those brave fellows, perhaps, been butchered by the pirates!
Closing in upon the reef andfor the entrance on the south-west side, we noticed that boats were passing to and fro between the junks and the shi+p
Just then a puff of smoke came from the stern of the shi+p, followed by the sound of a rifle shot in the distance, after which followed a regular fusillade of musketry fire
The lieutenant had meanwhile not been idle, thebeen lowered with their nine-pounders in the bows, all pri after hiave the order to pull in towards the scene of action, the gunboat s to bear on the fleet of junks in the ot well up to the shi+p before firing so as to take the pirates by surprise