better polish 'em off, sir?" growled one of the men.

"The captain's orders were to pick up all the drowning men we could,"
said the boatswain sternly.

"But they won't be picked up, sir."

"Give way."

The men rowed to another floating group of four, and I stood up and
called to them to surrender.

For answer they sprang into the water, and began to swim to some of
their comrades on the next piece of wreck.

"This is a puzzling job, Mr Herrick," said the boatswain. "I'm not a
brute; I'd jump overboard to save any of the wretches, but it would be
like giving my life, or the lives of any of the crew, to set them the
job. Those wretches will begin upon their mates, you'll see."

He was quite right, for the possessors of the next floating piece of
wreck yelled to their comrades to keep off, and, as they still swam on,
a fresh fight began of the most bloodthirsty nature, and one of our men
said drily--

"Take it coolly, sir. If we lay on our oars a bit, there won't be none
to fish up."

The feeling of horror and pity for the drowning men began to wear off,
and I was glad when Mr Grey suddenly ordered the men to row hard, and I
saw him steer shoreward to cut off a little party of four, who, with a
thick bamboo yard between them, were swimming for the rocks.

"They must be saved as prisoners or not at all," he said sternly; "not a
man of them must land."

As soon as this last party saw us coming, we noticed that they drew
their knives to keep us off, but energetic measures were taken this
time. We got between them and the shore; and then a rope was made
ready, one of the men stood up and dexterously threw it right over a
pirate's head, snatched it tightly to him, dragged him from his hold,
and he was at last drawn to the side half-drowned, hauled aboard, and
his hands and feet tied.

This successful plan was followed out with the others, with the result
that we had four prisoners lying safely in the bottom, and then turned
to capture some more in the same way.

But we had been so excited and taken up by this work that we had not
seen what was going on seaward, where a gun was fired for our recall.

"Where's the next of them?" said Mr Grey.

I did not answer, as I stood up looking round to see a few fragments of
wreck floating here and there, but there was not another pirate left to
save.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

REPAIRING DAMAGES.

For some moments I could not believe it true, and I stood on the thwar