were men stationed at them!

In a flash my thoughts reverted to the _Braave_, the Dutch barque that
we had fallen in with a week ago, with her cargo plundered and her
murdered crew cumbering her decks; and I sang out for Tudsbery to come
aft, that individual being at the moment busy upon some job on the
forecastle, as was frequently the case during his watch, if I happened
to be on the poop.

"Tudsbery," said I, as he joined me on the poop, "I think I remember
having heard you say that you have seen service in the China trade. I
want you to take a good look at those two junks--if you have not yet
done so--and give me your opinion of them."

"I've had a squint at 'em, of course, Mr Troubridge," he answered, as I
handed him the glass; "but I haven't noticed anything extra partic'lar
about 'em, so far." And he applied the instrument to his eye.

"You don't imagine, for instance, that they are cruising in company; or
that they are other than honest trading junks?" I asked.

"Well, I dunno," he replied, working away at them with the glass.
"Perhaps it is a bit strange, seein' two of 'em out here so close
together, and both of 'em steerin' exactly the same course. Yes, and,
by George, now I comes to look at 'em through the glass, I sees that
they are both of 'em armed--this here nearest one mounts eight barkers
of a side, and I'll be hanged if I don't believe her people are a-
trainin' of 'em upon us! Yes; dash me if they ain't! You'd better look
out, sir; they mean to slap a broadside into us in another minute, or
I'm a Dutchman!"

I turned and faced forward. "Go below, all of you!" I shouted. "Down
with you at once! That junk is going to fire upon us, and some of you
may be hurt. Miss Hartley," turning to the girl, who was standing close
beside us, "go down off the poop and get under cover at once, if you
please--"

Bang! crash! Eight jets of flame and smoke leapt from the port battery
of the nearest junk, which had by this time drawn down broad on our lee
quarter, some three cable-lengths distant, and the next instant the air
all round us seemed thick with humming missiles, many of which struck
the hull and bulwarks of the ship, making the splinters fly, while
others passed through our lower canvas, perforating it in two or three
dozen places, and providing a nice little repairing job for the hands in
some of their future spare moments. A hurried glance along the decks,
however, assured me that nobody