s in the tenth century were repeated in
the middle of the nineteenth by a people who, _unlike_ the Norsemen, had
no regard whatever for law; and now they were returning home laden with
booty.

The pirate-chiefs usual mode of procedure on such occasions was to go to
an unfrequented island in the neighbourhood of Singapore, land all his
warlike stores and prisoners, and, leaving them under a strong guard,
proceed with two of his prows loaded to the gunwale with merchandise, to
the port. The merchant-boats which he had previously sunk, and whose
crews he had murdered, provided him with "port-clearances," which
enabled him to personate the trader and regularly enter and clear the
customs at Singapore, so as to cause no suspicion; then, returning to
his place of rendezvous with a fresh supply of guns, ammunition,
etcetera, he divided his ill-gotten gains and recommenced his piratical
expeditions.

On the present occasion, however, Pungarin had received intelligence
which induced him to modify his plans. Hearing that a gun-boat was in
pursuit of him, he determined to change his rendezvous for the time.

The weary slaves were therefore again set to work at the oars; but "kind
Nature" took pity on them. A breeze sprang up and increased into a
gale, under the influence of which the prows sped out to sea and soon
left the islands far behind them.

It was while thus attempting to evade their enemy that the pirates had
the misfortune to run at last into the very jaws of the lion.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

A FIGHT WITH MALAY PIRATES.

At six o'clock in the morning, the tide suiting, the gun-boat crept out
to sea, and steamed slowly along the coast to the southward, keeping a
good look-out. They soon discovered sundry prows, but, after ordering
them to come alongside, found that they were legitimate traders. Thus
the day was spent in a vain search, and at night they returned to their
anchorage, as it was not possible to make any discoveries in the dark.

Next morning, at the same hour, they steamed out to sea again, intending
to keep about twelve miles off the coast, so as to be able to command a
broad expanse of water in every direction; but before they had got two
miles from the anchorage, three prows were observed about four or five
miles to seaward.

"That looks like the rascals," observed the captain, as he surveyed them
through the glass.

"Indeed," said Mr Hazlit, who, rather pale and weak from his recent
unwon