ne. One
of the sailors in dislodging a boulder lost his footing and went
crashing down with it amid the derisive yells of the pirates. Suddenly
the conflict ceased and the pirates withdrew. In a short time we
could see them building a number of small fires along the beach, and
the aroma of rice curry came up to us with the breeze. The captain, I
could see, was anxious, although my boyish feelings did not go beyond
a sense of intoxicating excitement. I heard him say that nothing but
a storm or a ship could save us in case we were besieged; that it
was better to have the fight out at once and die with our arms in
our hands than to starve to death.

Giving each a small portion of ship biscuit and a taste of water,
he enjoined on each a careful watchfulness and a provident use of
our small stock of provisions.

I took mine in my hand and walked out on the edge of the cliff somewhat
sobered. Directly below me were the pirates, and at my feet I noticed
a fragment of rock that I thought I could loosen. Putting down my food,
I foolishly picked up a piece of timber which I used as a lever, when,
without warning, the mass broke away, and with a tremendous bound
went crashing down into the very midst of the pirates, scattering
them right and left, and ended by crushing one of the praus that was
drawn up on the sand.

In an instant the quiet beach was a scene of the wildest confusion. A
surging, crowding mass of pirates with their krises between their
teeth dashed up the canon, intent on avenging their loss. I dropped
my lever and rushed back to the men, nearly frightened to death at
the result of my temerity. There was no time for boulders; the men
reached the brink of the defile just in time to welcome the assailants
with a broadside. Their lines wavered, but fresh men took the places
of the fallen, and they pushed on. Another volley from our guns,
and the dead and wounded encumbered the progress of the living. A
shower of stones and timbers gave us the light, and they withdrew
with savage yells to open the siege once more. Only one of our men
had been wounded,--he by an arrow from a blowpipe.

V

All that night we kept watch. The next morning we were once more
attacked, but successfully defended ourselves with boulders and our
cutlasses. Yet one swarthy pirate succeeded in catching the leg of
the remaining native soldier and bearing him away with them. With
cessation of hostilities, we searched the top of the island