he four marines in
the stern-sheets--"fix bayonets, and keep a sharp look-out."

I looked at him wonderingly, for fixed bayonets did not seem very
suitable things for saving drowning men. But I said nothing, only
sheltered my eyes from the level rays of the sun as we rowed swiftly on,
and gazed across the water at the despairing wretches fighting for their
lives upon the blood-red surface of the water.

It was very horrible after a time, for, as I looked with my heart
feeling contracted, I saw a man, who had been swimming hard, suddenly
throw up his hands and sink.

It was too much for me.

"Row, my lads, row," I cried; "we may catch him as he comes up."

"No," said the warrant officer grimly, "we shall never see him again."

"But try, try!" I cried.

"Yes, we'll try our best," said the officer sternly; "but it's their
turn now. Many a poor wretch have they seen drown, I know, and laughed
at when he cried for help."

I knew it was true; but all the same there was only one thought besides
in my breast, and that was to save all the poor wretches who were
clinging to the pieces of wreck.

As we drew nearer, we came upon the first of quite thirty, clinging to a
sweep which was under his left arm; while, to my horror, I had seen
three more swimming without support go down without a cry, and not one
rise again.

"Easy there," said the officer; "ready there, coxswain; can you reach
him with the hook?"

The man who was standing in the bows reached out to hook the pirate, but
just then the end of the floating sweep touched our boat, and turned
right off, so that the coxswain missed his stroke, and the result was
that the pirate glided aft.

The officer by my side leaned over, reached out, and, to my intense
satisfaction, caught the Chinaman by his left sleeve to draw him to the
boat; but in an instant the wretch threw his right arm out of the water,
and I saw the flash of a long knife in his fingers, as, with his teeth
grinning, he struck at my companion with all his might.

I was so taken by surprise that I sat as if paralysed; but I was
conscious of a quick movement from behind, something red passed over me,
and, all instantaneously, there was the flash of another blade, a
horrible thud--the pirate was driven under water; and I wrenched, as it
were, my eyes round from him to look up over my shoulder at the marine,
who with a dexterous twist of his rifle withdrew his bayonet from the
savage's chest.

"Hurt