lly bottom being to be seen at the depth of two or three feet or so,
the beach shelving abruptly.

While the two of us were looking at the boat, though, and the island in
front spread out before us, with its solitary tree, ruined Chinese
pagoda and all, which Ching Wang was also inspecting with much interest
from the forecastle, we were suddenly startled by a shout aft from
Captain Gillespie, who still remained on the poop.

"Hi, Mackay," he cried, "come back. Here is that blessed proa and junk,
and a whole fleet of pirates after us!"

This made both Tom and I turn pale, although Ching Wang betrayed no
expression of alarm when we explained the captain's hail to him, only
his little beady eyes twinkling.

"You fightee number one chop, tyfong makee scarcee chop chop, Sabby? No
goodee when sailor-mannee fightee!"

When we got aft, where we were soon joined by Mr Mackay, who had
instantly obeyed the captain's order of recall, and said, by the way,
that they could not discover much injury to the ship forward save that a
portion of her false keel had been torn off, "Old Jock" pointed out some
specks on the horizon to windward. These, on being scrutinised through
the glass by the first mate, were declared to be the now familiar proa
and her consort, a fact which I corroborated with my naked eye from the
mizzen cross-trees whither I at once ascended.

The sea, I noticed too, had calmed down considerably outside the reef,
which the pirate junks gained later on in the afternoon, coming through
the opening we had observed to the south and west one by one, in single
file, and then advancing towards the Silver Queen in line.

Presently, when about half a mile off, they stopped on a flag being
hoisted by the leading proa, which appeared to command the expedition;
and then, amidst the hideous din of a lot of tin-kettly drums and gongs,
the pirates, for such they now showed themselves to be without doubt,
opened fire on the ship with cannon and jingals--the balls from the
former soon singing in the air as they passed over our masts, their aim,
however, being rather high and eccentric, although the first that
whistled past made me duck my head in fright, thinking it was coming
towards me.

"Oh!" I cried; but I may say without any exaggeration or desire to
brag, that I did not flinch again, nor did I utter another "Oh!"

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

CHING WANG AND I ESCAPE IN THE SAMPAN.

It must not be thought, though, that we