Gregory slowly, "I'm for the fight. We've got some weapons
now, and hang me if I'm going to strike to a set of treacherous pirates
like this."

The captain grasped his hand and began smoking.

"Quiets the pain a bit," he whispered. "An ugly wound; but I don't
think the kris was poisoned."

"Why, Strong," said the first-mate sympathetically, "we ought to give up
and escape."

"My dear Gregory, I'm quite a cripple; but if you and the others will
stand by me, we'll stick to the ship till she sinks, if we have such bad
luck as that; and if she doesn't sink, we'll save her."

"I'll answer for it they will stand by you," said the mate, and going to
the window he lowered himself down, and told those below how matters
stood.

"Now, major," he said, "what do you say?"

"Say, sor!" whispered the major; "why, there isn't anything to say.
I've paid for my passage and the passages of the wife and daughter to
Hong-Kong, and does Captain Strong think I'm going to let them finish
the voyage in a scrap of an open boat. No, sor; fight, sor, fight, of
course."

"Will you stand by us, my lads?" said Mr Gregory.

"Will we stand by you, sir!" growled Small. "Why, of course we will. I
want to make J Small, his mark, on some of their brown carkidges. Don't
you, boys?"

A low whispered growl came in reply, a sound that was as full of fight
as if it had been uttered by some fierce beast.

"That will do then," said the first-mate. "You slip up there first,
Billy Widgeon, and you others go next. Stop: Billy, send down a
table-cloth."

"Table-cloth, sir?"

"Yes, to tie the dog in; we mustn't leave him."

Widgeon went up, his mates followed one by one, for the cotton rope
stood the strain, and then a big white table-cloth was dropped into the
boat.

"Now, Bruff, my lad, you've got to go up like a bundle. Will you go
quietly, or are you going to betray us?"

The dog made no resistance, but allowed himself to be stowed in the
middle of the cloth, which was tied up bundle-wise, the end of the
sheet-rope was attached, a signal made, and the animal drawn up and in
at the cabin-window without his uttering a sound.

A minute more and the rope came down.

"Can you bear it round you, my lad?" whispered Gregory to Morgan.

"I'll bear anything," was the calm reply; and he did not wince as the
rope was secured about his chest. Then a signal was given, and he was
drawn up, to be dragged in at the cabin-window with his wound bl