es, if not faster, was
the stranger; and now when she could be clearly made out, she did not
improve on acquaintance.

She was a lateen-rigged schooner, with a long, low, dark hull, almost
flush with the water, and a wicked look about her which could hardly be
mistaken.

The captain hailed the boatswain, and summoned him to the poop, where
they were joined by the first mate and "Mr Meredith," who, strange to
say, seemed quite as accustomed to early hours as the officers of the
ship.

"It is she, without doubt," said the captain. "I could almost swear to
the description. Where are those Malays?"

"Down below, sir; leastways, they was just now."

"Well, keep a sharp look-out; and as it seems that it will come to a
scrimmage you had better tell the men forward, and I will warn those
here quietly. I suppose you have got the revolvers all right?"
continued the captain, as "Mr Meredith" left the deck quietly.

"Oh, yes, sir; mine's here," said the boatswain, tapping the bosom of
his guernsey, "all ready for action; and I'll soon serve out the
others."

"Very good; only be cool, Martens, till the time arrives, for we may be
mistaken after all in the men. I can't tell why we are not going
faster, though, with this breeze and all that sail set. What! only
three knots!" said he, as the boatswain hove the log and told him the
result. "Something must be wrong, Martens; go forward and see at once."

And the long, low, dark-hulled schooner was coming up hand over hand,
walking almost up into the wind's eye on the weather-gauge, coming on as
if the _Hankow Lin_ was at anchor or becalmed.

As Bill the boatswain passed forward he saw the Malays were gathered
together in a cluster by the side, amidships, looking at the vessel
coming up, and the serang had a peculiar, satisfied, malicious sort of
smile on his evil countenance.

"Guess they're getting ready too," said Bill to himself. "I'll give
Snowball a hail, and rouse up the others."

Snowball, however, was bustling about in his galley, and in response to
a word from the boatswain he grinned one of his usual broad grins, and
tapped the long knife in his belt, that looked almost as deadly a weapon
as one of the Malay creases.

"Golly, Massa Bill, me quite ready for the muss when him come! dat for
de yaller nigger dat call me black-man; and dese, massa," he said,
pointing to the ship's coppers, which were full of boiling water, as he
had lighted the fires again at