as a boy could not realize what capture meant at the hands of our
cruel pursuers. My heart beat high, and I felt equal to a dozen
Illanums. My thoughts travelled back to New England in the midst of
the excitement. I saw myself before the open arch fire in a low-roofed
old house, that for a century had withstood the fiercest gales on the
old Maine coast, and from whose doors had gone forth three generations
of sea-captains. I saw myself on a winter night relating this very
story of adventure to an old gray-haired, bronzed-faced father, and
a mother whose parting kiss still lingered on my lips, to my younger
brother, and sister. I could feel their undisguised admiration as I
told of my fight with pirates in the Bornean sea. It is wonderful how
the mind will travel. Yet with my thoughts in Maine, I saw and felt
that the Illanums were gradually gaining on us. Our men were weary
and feeble from two days' fasting, while the pirates were strong,
and thirsting for our blood.

The captain kept glancing first at the enemy and then at a musket
that lay near him. He longed to use it, but not a man could be spared
from the oars. Hand over hand they gained on us. Turning his eyes on
me as I sat in the bow, the captain said, while he bent his sinewy
back to the oar, "Jack, are you a good shot?"

I stammered, "I can try, sir."

"Very well, get the musket there in the bow. It is loaded. Take good
aim and shoot that big fellow in the stern. If you hit him, I'll make
you master of a ship some day."

Tremblingly I raised the heavy musket as directed. The boat was
unsteady, I hardly expected to hit the chief, but aimed low, hoping
to hit one of the rowers at least. I aimed, closed my eyes, and
fired. With the report of the musket the tall leader sprang into the
air and then fell head fore-most amid his rowers. I could just detect
the gleam of the moonlight on the jewelled handle of his kris as it
sank into the waters. I had hit my man. The sailors sent up a hearty
American cheer and a tiger, as they saw the prau come to a standstill.

Our boat sprang away into the darkness. We did not cease rowing until
dawn,--then we lay back on our oars and stretched our tired backs
and arms. I had taken my place at the oar during the night.

Away out on the northern horizon we saw a black speck; on the southern
horizon another. The captain's glass revealed one to be the pirate
prau with all sails set, for a wind had come up with the dawn. The