alternated this with watching the loading of the guns and
disposal of the men.

Just then an idea seemed to have struck Bob Roberts, who ran across the
deck to where old Dick was standing ready by a gun.

"Here, Dick, I want you. Wilson, come and take his place."

"Ay, ay, sir!" cried the man; but old Dick growled.

"Don't take me away, Mr Roberts, sir," he said, querulously. "I was
longing for a shot at them dirty pirates, and now I'm losing my chance."

"Look here, Dick," cried Bob, and he raised himself on tiptoe and
whispered something to him, old Dick's soured face undergoing a complete
change to one full of mirth. The wrinkles became puckers, and his eyes
nearly closed, while his mouth seemed drawn out at the corners till
nearly double its usual length.

"It will be just right, Dick," said the middy.

"To a T, Mr Roberts, sir. Well, you are a clever one, you are! Who'd
ha' thought of that?"

"You be ready, Dick; I depend upon you, mind," cried the middy; and he
ran back to his post.

The prahus were coming steadily on, up and down stream, and it could be
seen from the steamer's deck that they were full of men, and bristling
with spears, while any doubt as to the unfriendliness of their
intentions was soon dispelled by the noise of beating gongs on board
each vessel, the object being apparently to encourage each other and to
excite alarm in the breasts of their foes, a result which in this case
the noise decidedly failed in obtaining.

The men kept glancing anxiously at their commander, who seemed to be
letting the prahus approach very closely, which appeared to be a bad
policy, seeing that the Malays were about ten to one, and their object
would doubtless be to board the steamer and engage in a hand-to-hand
fight; but Lieutenant Johnson had made his plans, and was abiding his
time. He himself carefully pointed the guns, depressing them somewhat,
so that the shot should strike low; and then leaving the task in the
hands of the captain of each piece, he waited the result.

The prahus were now within a couple of hundred yards of the steamer, and
had begun firing iron shot from their little brass lelahs, when the
first gun spoke out. There was a round puff of smoke and a deafening
roar, and the shot struck the nearest right in the stem, tearing a great
hole in her bows, and passing through her with such deadly effect that
the prahu immediately began to sink, and her crew leaped overboard in
confus