e captain's neglect or dilatoriness, our deck running with
blood.

But I had to master these thoughts.

"They know better than I do when to begin," I said to myself, and, after
a sharp glance at the coming vessels, I began to pity my two messmates
who were cooped up below, and I thought of how excited they must be.
Then I thought of Mr Brooke, and hoped he would not be hurt; and
shuddered a little as I remembered the doctor, who would be all ready
below, waiting to attend upon the first wounded man.

"See that, sir?" said Mr Reardon quickly.

"What?" said Captain Thwaites in the most unmoved way.

"That smoke on board two of them."

"On board all," said the captain. "I noticed it a minute ago. They are
getting the stinkpots ready for us, I suppose."

"Yes, that's it, sir. Do you think it necessary to have the hose ready
in case of fire?"

"No; if any come on board, the firemen can be called up from the
stokehole with their shovels. I think we'll go now upon the bridge.
You can come too, Mr Herrick. I may want you to take an order or two."

And as he walked quietly towards the bridge, where the speaking-tubes
and signals joined with the engine-room were, he was as calm and
deliberate as if there was not the slightest danger menacing the
_Teaser_; while for my part I could not help feeling that the position
there upon the bridge was a highly-exposed one, and that I should have
been much safer in the shelter of the bulwarks, or down below.

All this time we were gently forging ahead, and the junk was quietly
manoeuvring so that we should pass her so close that she could just
avoid our prow, and then close and grapple with us, for they were busy
on her starboard quarter, and through my glass I could make out great
hooks.

"Won't they think we are taking it too coolly, and grow suspicious,
sir?" whispered Mr Reardon excitedly.

"I hope not," said the captain. "Perhaps one might show fight now, but
I am trusting to their believing that we are stupid, for I want to get
them all, Reardon, if I can. Now, silence, if you please."

Mr Reardon drew back a step or two and waited during those terrible
minutes which followed, and I gave quite a start, for the enemy suddenly
threw off all reserve as a yell came from the junk, which was answered
from the other vessels, and, with their decks crowded with
savage-looking desperadoes, they swept down upon us literally from both
sides, bow and stern.

But still the c