after hour for the messenger to come back
with what will be our death warrant."

They agreed to keep awake by turns, and accordingly lay down as soon
as it became dark, the Malays, as usual, squatting at a distance of
a couple of paces each side of them. It was about two o'clock in the
morning when Dick, who was awake, saw, as he supposed, one of the crew
standing up a few yards away; he was not sure, for just at that moment
the figure disappeared.

"What on earth could that fellow want to stand up for and lie down
again? for I can swear he was not there half a minute ago. There is
another farther on." He pinched himself to make sure that he was awake.
Figure after figure seemed to flit along the deck and disappear. One of
the guard rose and stretched his arms; put a fresh bit of some herb that
he was chewing into his mouth; moved close to the prisoners to see if
they were asleep; and then resumed his former position. During the time
that he was on his feet, Dick noticed that the phenomenon which had
so puzzled him ceased. A quarter of an hour later it began again. He
touched Harry, keeping his hand on his lips as a warning to be silent.
Suddenly a wild yell broke on the still air, and in an instant the deck
was alive with men; and as the two Malay watchers rose to their feet,
both were cut down.

There were sounds of heavy blows, screams and yells, a short and
confused struggle, and the fall of heavy bodies, while from the little
village there were also sounds of conflict. The midshipmen had started
to their feet, half bewildered at the sudden and desperate struggle,
when a hand was laid on each of their shoulders, and a voice said,
"English friends, Hassan has come."

The revulsion of feeling was so great that, for a minute, neither
could speak; then Dick said, "Chief, we thank you with all our hearts.
Tomorrow we should have been killed."

The chief shook hands with them both warmly, having seen that mode of
salutation on board ship.

"Hassan glad," he said. "Hassan watch all time; no let Sehi kill
friends. Friends save Hassan's child; he save them."

Torches were now lighted. The deck was thickly encumbered with dead; for
every one of the crew of the prahu had been killed.

"Sehi killed too," the chief said, "come and see." He swung himself on
shore; the boys followed his example, two of the Malays helping Dick
down. They went to the village, where a number of Malays were moving
about; torches had been bro