Part 8 (1/2)

”Trust me for that,” said Tom. ”I have not forgotten them, and the last words the captain spoke to that fellow Myers will make him more than ever eager to prevent our getting to Sydney. I don't mean to say that he will take us, or that he has a chance of taking us, but he is very likely to try it.”

After the ladies had retired to their cabins, Harry came on deck.

”I have told them not to be alarmed if they hear us firing, for I am determined should the pirates make their appearance to stand on no terms with them, but, if I can, to send their boats to the bottom before they get up alongside.”

”A very right way, too, of treating them, sir,” observed Tom. ”If we can sink their boats it might be the saving of the lives of many of the poor islanders, for, depend on it, when they have got all the pearl sh.e.l.ls they can, they will be carrying off as many of the people as the brigantine can hold. I have seen something of the way those sort of fellows behave, and Sam Pest has been telling me more about it.”

The watch on deck were all awake, and the men below had been warned that they must be ready to spring up at a moment's notice; the guns were loaded, and our other weapons were placed handy, ready for use.

As old Tom observed, ”If they do not come, there's no harm done; and if they do, why they'll pretty soon find out that they've had their pull for nothing.”

As Tom had been awake the whole of the first watch, Harry told him to go below, observing that he and I would keep a look-out.

”No, thank you, sir,” answered Tom; ”I will get my sleep by-and-by; I'd like to be ready in case the pirates should follow us.”

”You, Ned, had better then go below, as you cannot do without sleep, and you can be called if you are wanted.”

I was just about to do as he advised me, when old Tom, pointing to the eastward, towards which our starboard broadside was turned, exclaimed, ”As sure as I'm an Englishman there come the boats, and I can make out three of them pulling abreast; we shall see them more clearly presently.”

The watch below, which had lately turned in, were soon roused up, and I called Charlie Tilston, as he had begged me to do.

”We will have the port guns over to the starboard side, and give the fellows a salute which will show that we are not to be caught napping,”

said Harry. ”All ready, there?”

He took charge of one gun, Tom of another, Lizard of the third, and I of the last. We waited till the boats had got as far as we could judge within range, and then fired together, aiming as carefully as we could.

We then immediately reloaded, to be ready for them should they make a dash at us. Whether or not we had hit either of the boats we could not be certain, they still appeared to be coming on. Just then Harry exclaimed--

”Trim sails; here's the breeze.”

The helm was put up, the fore-topsail blew out, the mainsail filled.

”Ease off the main-sheet,” cried Harry, and the schooner began to glide once more through the water. We watched the boats now right astern; they still kept following us, hoping not to let their prey escape them.

We had two ports in the stern, through which our guns could be fired.

Harry had them dragged over for that purpose, and we at once began to blaze away at our pursuers. For some time we could see them still following us, showing that they had hitherto escaped our shot. The breeze was freshening, the schooner ran faster and faster through the water.

”Hurrah! They have given it up,” I shouted, as I saw them pulling round.

”One more parting shot,” cried old Tom, and before Harry could stop him he fired.

”That was not a miss, at all events,” he cried out.

Almost immediately afterwards we could distinguish only two boats-- evidence that one of them had been sunk. In a short time we had completely lost sight of them, and all fear of pursuit was over.

We had reason to be thankful that we had avoided a fight, for, desperate as the fellows were, many of us might have been wounded, if not killed, even though we had driven them back; the alternative of their succeeding was too dreadful to contemplate. Harry at once hastened below to a.s.sure Mary and f.a.n.n.y that all danger was over. I now turned in, and though I went to sleep in a moment I kept dreaming all the time that the pirates were boarding us, that we were fighting desperately; sometimes Captain Myers was on deck flouris.h.i.+ng a cutla.s.s, singing, ”I'm afloat, I'm afloat,” and the ”Rover is free,” at others, with his cut-throat companions, he was struggling in the water while old Tom was pelting them with marline-spikes.

I was very thankful when I went on deck to find the schooner running on with a fair breeze, and no land anywhere in sight. Mary and f.a.n.n.y, though they had been naturally very anxious, soon recovered their spirits, and everything went on as pleasantly as could be desired, Charles Tilston was well-informed, and made himself very agreeable, and though he had no intention of becoming a sailor, he soon learned how to take an observation, and could work it out as well as Harry himself. He was always ready also to pull and haul and be as useful as he could. He spent a portion of every day in giving d.i.c.k instruction in mathematics and other subjects in which his brother was somewhat deficient, and he also kindly offered to help me with my studies.

As Harry wished to obtain samples of such produce as the islands afforded, he had settled to visit those which were at no great distance from our course to the westward.

The first island we sighted after leaving the Pearl Islands was of considerable size, with a lagoon in the centre. We observed at the south-east end a broad entrance, through which it appeared we might pa.s.s without difficulty into the lagoon. Near one side was a village, and the whole island appeared thickly covered with cocoanut and other trees.