ot be repeated.

"Come, lads, dismount from your Pegasus, and turn in and get a little
sleep," cried their commanding officer; "we've a hard day's work before
us to-morrow, I suspect."

This warning brought their thoughts back to the business in which they
were engaged, and, returning to their respective boats, those not on
watch were very quickly wrapped in what, as Paddy said, "might have been
`soft repose,' if it wasn't that the planks were so mighty hard." They
were awoke before dawn by a summons from Hoddidoddi, who declared that
there was sufficient light for him to pilot them, if they wished to
proceed. The anchors were at once got up, and they pulled away along
shore.

By daylight they came to a broad channel some miles wide. Their pilot
averred that they should find the pirate fleet across it. Away they
dashed. A thin silvery mist hung over the ocean; sufficient, however,
to conceal them from any one on the lookout on the opposite shore. Only
here and there, as they approached, a few palm-trees, rearing their
heads above the mist, showed where the shore itself was.

"If the pirates only happen to be there, we shall catch them to a
certainty," shouted Paddy to Jack, as they pulled rapidly on.

Soon all were ordered to keep silence, and Hoddidoddi was seen to be
indulging in a variety of curious and somewhat violent gesticulations.
Just then appeared the masts and yards of a whole fleet of Illanoon
prahus. There could be no doubt that they were the pirates. Mr Cherry
had no necessity to order his followers to give way. The seamen laid
their backs to the oars, and made the boats fly hissing through the
water. They thought that they should take the enemy by surprise; but
the sound of tom-toms beating, pistols being fired, and loud shouts
showed them that the pirates were not asleep, and that they themselves
had been heard, if not seen. Just then a puff of wind blew aside the
mist, and exhibited some twenty prahus or more drawn up in order of
battle, and ready to receive them. A larger body than they were might
have hesitated about attacking; still it did not enter the head of their
gallant leader that it would be possible to retreat. He ordered Jack to
attack on one wing and Adair on the other, while he pulled for the
centre of the fleet, firing his long gun as he did so. The pirates were
evidently astonished at this bold proceeding, and at the way the shots
pitched into them. Probably they thou