rging the moment the enemy ranged herself alongside, and each man
being in his proper station, they awaited with the courage and caution
of brave men the approach of the pirate. Fortunately for them, as it
gave them more time to prepare, the breeze had quite died away, and a
dead calm had fallen on the surface of the deep, while yet the schooner
had scarcely decreased her distance, and they had been making their
preparations for the fight. The glassy sea heaved up and down under the
burning sun, which was now high in the heavens, with a sort of heavy,
waveless throb, as if composing itself uneasily to sleep, the ship
rolling with the motion to and fro.

The pirates were not asleep, however. As soon as the breeze failed they
rigged out long oars from her low sides, and were leisurely sweeping
nearer and nearer to the _Hankow Lin_ with every pulse of the sea.

They must have heard the reports of the rifles and revolvers, as well as
seen the smoke of the discharges, and heard the yells of the Malays as
they fought hand to hand with the blue-jackets, for the air was as clear
as could be; but the stillness now, and the absence of any attempt to
trim the sails or to escape, deceived them. They evidently thought that
their fellow-conspirators on board had gained the day, or that the
slaughter had been so great on both sides that there was no longer
anybody capable of resistance; for after a short pause, when they were a
cable's-length distant, the sweeps again set to work, and the low black
hull of the schooner was urged forwards again towards the _Hankow Lin_,
until those on the watch between the ports could see down on to her
deck, which was crowded with yellow Malays like those with whom they had
had such a desperate fight; besides numbers of Chinese, some of the
black natives of Borneo and New Guinea, Portuguese desperadoes, and such
ferocious-looking ruffians as herd together in Eastern seas.

"Be ready, men, to lift the ports and run out the guns," said the
lieutenant, with finger uplifted to impose silence. "Depress your
muzzles, and wait till I give the word to fire. She'll come up on this
side, as I thought, so we'll give her the benefit of all four at once!"

Up crept the pirate, the ominous black flag still hoisted, although, as
the breeze had dropped, it hung down limp from the mast; and they could
hear the chatter of voices on board her quite distinctly. Nearer and
nearer she came--until the lieutenant co