"Eh! yes."

Only those two words, as the captain sighted the slowly-moving objects
just indistinctly seen, but they were enough to send a thrill all
through the ship.

For there was no mistaking the matter. The junk that had been hanging
by us all night was a pirate after all, and she had signalled to
companions on shore. I could see, too, that she was slightly altering
her course.

The enemy was at last in sight.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

THE FIGHT.

"Oh, if I only dared hooray!" I said to myself; and then a flush of
pride rose to my cheeks, for the captain gave me a smart clap on the
shoulder.

"Bravo, Herrick!" he said in quite a whisper. "I thought you were
right, my lad, or I shouldn't have done all this. Mr Reardon and I
will make a fine officer of you before we have done."

"Shall I pass the word down for the men to be on the _qui vive_?" said
the lieutenant.

The captain laughed, and nodded his head in the direction of the
hatches, which were black with peeping heads.

"No need, Mr Reardon; there is not a soul on board who does not know.
It is no time for making fresh arrangements. We'll keep exactly to our
plans. Don't let a man show on deck, for depend upon it they will have
a look-out aloft ready to give warning of danger, and we must not give
them an excuse for signalling to their confederates to sheer off."

"Keep steadily on, then, sir?"

"Yes, steadily and stupidly. Let the men go on as before up aloft, and
let the rest of the men show their white heads and pigtails at the
bulwarks as if they were wondering who the strangers were. Good
pressure of steam below?"

"Yes, sir, almost too much," said the lieutenant, after communication
with the engine-room.

"Not a bit," said the captain, rubbing his hands. "We shall want it
soon."

My heart began to beat as they passed on, and I wondered what would be
the first steps taken. But I did not forget my promise. My duties were
about nil, and as soon as I had seen the men staring over the bulwarks,
and noted that the sham repairs to the rigging were steadily going on, I
ran down the companion-way, and breathlessly told Barkins and Smith.

"Then there are four of them, Smithy," cried Barkins. "Look here, Gnat;
he stuck out that there were only three. But well done, old chap, you
are a good one to come and tell us. Here, don't go yet; I want to--"

I never heard what he wanted to, for there was too much exciting
attraction on the de