in another five minutes, perhaps less, the canoes would be
up with her. "While there is life there is hope;" so thought Jack and
his companions, and so they continued making every effort to escape.
The voices of the negroes chattering away in the headmost canoe, sounded
very loud. Jack and Murray had ceased firing--for the best of reasons--
they had come to the end of their ammunition. Perhaps it was fortunate;
they could have done no good, and would only the more have enraged the
negroes. The latter also had not fired for some time, probably on the
same account.

"I feel somewhat inclined to squeak, as a hare does when a greyhound
catches hold of her, but I won't," said Jack, as the headmost canoe got
almost up to them. "You two in the bows, Johnson and Jones, keep
pulling, while all the rest lay about them to drive off the blacks. We
are not going to be beat by a parcel of pirates and niggers."

The men cheered at Jack's address, and, grasping their cutlasses, stood
ready to obey his directions. Now came the tug of war. The other
canoes got up and crowded round them, but again the undaunted seamen
cheered, and firing their pistols right and left among the pirates, laid
about them most lustily with their well-sharpened cutlasses. As they
cheered, what was their surprise to hear their cheers answered, and at
the same moment five dark objects on the water were seen coming round
the next point. Murray exclaimed that they were men-of-war boats. They
must have made out that their presence was much needed. On they dashed
towards the canoes. The pirates saw them coming, and dared not stand
their onslaught. Before they turned to fly, they made a desperate
attempt to capsize the boat, and to carry off some of the English as
prisoners. They very nearly got hold of Paddy, whom, in spite of his
costume and colour, they had discovered not to be a negro; but Jack and
Alick hauled him back, with the loss only of part of his shirt. Poor
Wasser was in the same manner saved by Needham; had they got him they
would, to a certainty, have killed him. The other boats, now dashing
on, put them to flight, and off they went at a great rate up the stream.
Hemming himself had come to their rescue. He had felt some misgivings
about them, and had returned, intending, if he did not meet them, to
land and threaten to ravage the black king's whole territory with fire
and sword if they were not given up. Jack was received with warm