I was almost surprised at the way Uncle Jack pleaded to be allowed to go.
"It is impossible," replied the captain, "I could not reconcile it to my conscience. We might lose half the ship"s company, and be unable to defend the brig ourselves."
I never saw the first mate so put out as he was at this answer. He turned away and continued walking the deck with uneasy strides until he seemed almost beside himself. He again went aloft and stood watching the prahus through his gla.s.s, occasionally turning his eye round the horizon, and then he shouted, "A breeze! A breeze coming up from the south-west!" The next instant down he slid on deck.
The vessel"s head, which had been turning now to one point of the compa.s.s now to another, was fortunately just then turned in the right way.
The captain kept a sharp look-out in the direction from whence the wind was coming, to judge whether it was likely to be a strong or a light breeze.
"Set the royals, Radburn. We need not be afraid of it."
The order was quickly obeyed. Scarcely were the sails sheeted home than they blew gently out. The topgallant-sails did the same; the topsails soon filled. The brig gathering way steered a little to the northward so as to intercept the prahus.
We were thankful for the breeze, but we would rather have avoided a struggle.
"You"ll have the studding-sails set, sir?" said Uncle Jack, scarcely waiting for an answer before he gave the order, and sprang forward to a.s.sist in carrying it out.
We soon had the studding-sails below and aloft, still the brig did not move along as rapidly as we wished. By this time the pirates might have seen us, as the sun was shining brightly on our royals and topgallant-sails, though we could not make them out except from aloft.
We were not long in manufacturing a Dutch pennant, which was run up to the main-royal mast-head. It was doubtful, however, whether it would be seen, or, if seen, have the effect we hoped for. The pirates, observing how light the wind was, would know that they could pull away beyond our reach.
Again and again Uncle Jack went aloft, until we got near enough to distinguish not only the ship on the reef but the prahus from the deck, which were approaching fearfully near her; the guns were loaded and the small arms got ready for immediate use. Most of the men were ready enough for a fight, if a fight was to take place, but the second mate looked downcast as usual, and I heard him muttering--
"We have enough to do to look after ourselves, without fighting for other people."
This was said for the first mate to hear, but Uncle Jack turned away without making any observation.
The prahus, although we must have been seen, still continued their course. Sometimes the hope came across me that they might not be intending to attack the ship ash.o.r.e; but it was scarcely to be thought that they were going to render her a.s.sistance. As we examined them through our gla.s.ses, we could see that they were large war prahus with numerous crews. The breeze filled our sails, but continued light as at first, and we had done all that was possible to make the brig move through the water.
Two prahus, apparently the fastest, were leading, and were already scarcely more than two miles off, while we were at a much greater distance. They would be up to the ship in twenty minutes or so, and it would take them but a fearfully short time to perform their work of murder and pillage if they were so minded. Still we hoped that the crew would fight, and, at all events, keep them at bay until we could come up. The pirates were calculating, it was evident, on the wind falling, of which there appeared every probability. Several times the lower canvas had given some ominous flaps against the masts, while the studding-sails hung down from the booms emptied of wind; still the royals filled and forced the brig along.
Our gla.s.ses were constantly turned, now towards the ship on sh.o.r.e, now towards the pirate fleet. It showed great hardihood on the part of the Malays that they should still continue their course, while our vessel, which they must have supposed to be a man-of-war, was so close to them.
They were trusting, we thought, to their numbers, and to the rapidity with which they could make their escape among the coral reefs, where no sailing vessel could follow them. They were getting closer and closer, while we were making scarcely two knots an hour through the water. What means of defence the ship might possess we could not tell. Even if she had guns she would, as the captain remarked, be unable to work them with her deck inclined as it now was. We could only hope that the tide was rising, and that if so she might get on an even keel, although her crew might not be able to haul her off.
We carried, I should have said, a light whale boat, remarkable for her speed; she pulled four oars, and held three persons besides. The wind provokingly tantalised us, now it filled the sails and then again allowed them to hang loosely down from the yards.
I had gone forward with the first mate that we might watch the ship and the headmost of the prahus. He several times sent me aft that I might take a look astern to see if there were any signs of the breeze increasing. On each occasion I had to make the same report.
"She"s lifting, she"s lifting?" exclaimed Uncle Jack, at length; "see, she"s making signals. Run, Harry, and get the signal book, we will try and learn what she is saying."
I quickly returned with the book, but the wind was so light that the flags did not blow out. "A breath of air for a single moment would enable us to see what they are," observed the first mate, watching them through his telescope. Just then one flag flew out, it was to signify that the others made the number of the ship. I turned to the right place in the signal book; presently all the flags flew out together, it was but for an instant. The first mate rapidly turned over the pages.
"I feared so from the first," he exclaimed; "the captain cannot refuse to let me go, she is the "Iris." The pirates have a current against them, or they would have made faster progress. We"ll get on board before them yet. Who will volunteer, lads?"
Several of the men replied, "I"m ready!"
We hurried aft, and he entreated the captain to let him have the whale boat. At first I thought the captain was going to refuse.
"We may still hope to be up in time to attack the prahus, and they will not long stand the fire from our guns," he answered. "I don"t like to risk your life and those of the people you may take with you."
"I"ll take care that we are not caught by them, and I hope that we shall get on board before they can reach the ship," said the first mate.
"Remember, Radburn, the lives of the boat"s crew are committed to your charge, and though I shall be glad to help Captain Bingley, you must turn back rather than risk an encounter in the boat with the pirates."
"I will do as you order, sir," answered Uncle Jack, eagerly springing to the falls and singing out for volunteers.
The captain, however, would positively allow only four hands to go, including Ned and Bell, another Englishman, and a Malay. I entreated that I might accompany him, and Blyth volunteered. The captain gave me leave, though Uncle Jack hesitated. Several more of the men came aft.
"It cannot be," said the captain, "we must keep hands enough to fight the brig."
While the boat was being lowered, arms were collected; each man stuck a brace of pistols in his belt, and we had muskets, cutla.s.ses, and several pikes. The captain would not allow us to take more, observing justly that they might be required on board the brig. We really had no reason to complain of his readiness to a.s.sist out friends. Not a minute had elapsed before we were ready, and getting out the oars away we pulled, the first mate, of course, steering.
We steered slightly to the south as the current was setting north, which of course made the distance longer. I could not help confessing to myself that it was very doubtful whether we should reach the ship before the prahus.
While the mate steered, Blyth and I employed ourselves in loading the arms. Our men pulled as hard as they could bend their backs to the oars. They believed that if we could once gain the ship"s deck, that we should succeed in driving back the pirates as well as we had done on board the brig. We could not tell whether we had been seen from the prahus, but those on board the ship would, we hoped, make out the signal hoisted at the mast-head of the "Lily," that a boat was coming to their a.s.sistance, and that this would encourage them to defend themselves should they be attacked before we could reach them. I had never before felt the intense anxiety I now experienced, and I knew how Uncle Jack must be feeling.
We were now rapidly nearing both the leading prahus and the ship, and we could even distinguish the fighting men on the decks of the former, with their gingalls and muskets or spears in their hands, though we could not make out whether they had any guns in their bows.
Captain Bingley had laughed at our carrying so many guns, and Uncle Jack said that when the "Iris" sailed she had only two six-pounders for firing signals. Whether others had afterwards been shipped he could not tell; even the two small ones it was possible might have been hove overboard to lighten the ship.
As I before said the tide was rising, and we remarked that the "Iris"
had lifted considerably since we left the brig. I need not say that I very often turned my eyes towards the "Lily" to see if she was moving faster than before. Though still gliding on through the smooth water, it was at a slow pace. Already the leading prahus were within a quarter of a mile of the ship, when their crews ceased rowing. In a short time we saw that it was only to allow some of the others to come up, apparently that they might make their attack together. The delay was of advantage to us. We were near enough to see our friends, who had been anxiously watching us, waving signals from the forecastle. They of course knew who we were. I thought I saw two female dresses. I could hardly be mistaken. But presently they disappeared; probably Captain Bingley had ordered his wife and daughter below to be out of the way of any missiles the pirates might discharge.
"We shall do it, we shall do it. Give way, my fine lads!" cried Uncle Jack; and the crew pulled until I feared they might spring their oars.
We had another danger to encounter, that of running on any intervening coral reefs, and the first mate stood up that he might obtain as far a view as possible ahead. I had been so engaged in watching the prahus, that I had not for some minutes looked at the brig.
"Hurrah!" I shouted, "she"s got the breeze at last, and is coming on bravely."
"Thank heaven!" exclaimed Uncle Jack.
At that moment the fighting men on board two of the prahus, which had again got ahead of the others, began firing away at the ship. Not a shot was returned from her. This made me fear that she had no means of defence. On we dashed; even now we might be on board before the prahus got alongside. We were, it should be understood, approaching on the port bow, towards which, for obvious reasons, the mate had steered. The next instant we had hooked on, ladders and ropes were lowered down to enable us to get on board.
"Hoist in the boat, or the pirates may get her!" I heard Captain Bingley shout out.
She was dropped under the davits. We found only, besides Captain Bingley and the mates, half a dozen of the men with firearms, the others had either pikes or boat-hooks, or such weapons as might serve for a hand-to-hand tussle, but could not have prevented the pirates from boarding. We had no time to ask questions, for two of the prahus were almost alongside; hurrying across the deck, we stood with our muskets pointed at them, telling Ned to shout in a loud voice and threaten them with a fearful retribution should they attack us. As they still came on we fired a well-aimed volley at the two nearest, bringing several of their warriors to the deck, while we quickly again loaded. In another instant they might have been attempting to clamber up the sides of the ship, when the people on board the other prahus saw the approach of the brig, which almost immediately opened fire with her long gun run out through her bow port. A panic on this seized most of the fleet, and pulling round away they went, leaving their leaders to their fate. The latter seeing themselves deserted, cast off and pulled away with all their might, their object being to avoid the which continued firing her long gun as fast as it could be loaded. We and the crew of the "Iris"
raised a loud cheer as we saw that we had driven off our foes. Though we had had happily but little fighting, Uncle Jack had no doubt by his prompt.i.tude saved the ship from being boarded, when in a few minutes every one belonging to her might have been put to death.
Captain Bingley, hurrying up to Uncle Jack and grasping his hand, exclaimed--
"You have saved our lives, Radburn. I thank you from my heart, and there are those below who desire to thank you too."
He then thanked Blyth and me, and our boat"s crew, who undoubtedly deserved it from the way they had pulled.
I found that a cable had been carried out astern, and that preparations had been made for hauling off the ship at high water, which, as the sea had remained perfectly calm, the captain hoped to do without her having suffered material damage. She was now rapidly regaining her perpendicular position, and in a few minutes would be on an even keel.
The brig, after following the pirates for a short distance, had hove to Captain Haiselden had no fancy for running in among the rocks.
Jack Radburn was soon on deck. "They are all right, I am thankful to say," he observed to me; "they want to thank you and Mr Blyth as soon as you can go below, for coming to their a.s.sistance."