"And pirates?" said Mark.

"Yes, whenever they can get the chance with some one weaker than
themselves, but our cruisers have made their trade less profitable than
it used to be."

"Should you think these are pirates?" said Mark, pointing towards one
particularly swift-looking prau just gliding out of the harbour.

"Very likely," said the second-mate. "They are traders and fishermen,
and sometimes all's fish that comes to their net. Not very formidable
looking enemies, though."

"They've no guns," said Mark, looking rather contemptuously at the
quaint craft.

"Not visible," said the second-mate, "but I daresay they may have two or
three down below ready for mounting as soon as they get to sea."

"Very large guns?"

"No; small brass pieces which they call lelahs, and which send a ball
weighing perhaps a pound."

"But pirates would not dare to attack a great ship like this," said
Mark.

"Oh, yes, they would, for these Malays are fighting men, who always go
armed, while they know that our merchantmen, as a rule, are not. But
there is not much to fear. They generally attack weak or helpless
vessels, and most of their strongholds have been rooted out."

Mark watched the departing prau with no little eagerness as he recalled
accounts which he had read of attacks by pirates, poisoned krises, and
goodly vessels plundered by the bloodthirsty men of Moslem creed, who
looked upon the slaying of a Christian as a meritorious act.

As he gazed after the retiring prau, with its dusky crew, a vessel,
similar in shape and size, and which had been lying close alongside of
the _Petrel_, heaved up her anchor and set sail.

"Where are they likely to be going?" Mark asked.

"Trading among the islands. They are rare fellows for pushing their way
in a slow fashion, but are not such business people as the Chinese."

"One might have thought that this was China," said Mark, as he gazed
ashore at the celestial quarter, and noted the great junks manned by
Chinamen lying anchored here and there.

The stay at Singapore was not long. The three German students bade the
passengers good-bye politely, and took their departure, beaming upon
everyone through their spectacles, making quite a gap at the saloon
table, though they were not much missed, for they had all been
remarkably quiet, only talking to each other in a subdued manner, and
always being busy with a book a piece, whose contents were tremendous
dissertations on agr