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, cutlasses, 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 assist 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
assistance, 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
promptitude 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 assistance."
By this time, the tide having risen, the ship was once more perfectly
upright. The capstan palls were shipped, away we tramped round and
round, straining every nerve. In vain we hove, the cable was strained
to its utmost, but not an inch did we move. I saw the captain and his
mates making long faces as if they thought that the ship was
irretrievably lost. Uncle Jack cheered on the men. Already all the
water had been started, and some of the heavy part of the cargo.
"Never fear, lads," he shouted, "we must heave a few more packages
overboard if we don't move soon; but try again, lads, try again."
We pressed against the capstan bars with all our might. Just then I
felt her start.
"She moves, she moves!" burst from every mouth.
I shall never forget the delight we felt. Round went the capstan bars.
Again and again we cheered.
We were dragging her off, it must be understood, stern first, exactly as
she had come on, so that had any coral points existed they must have
been torn away. By persevering, in a few minutes she was afloat; and by
means of a hawser secured to the cable, it was brought round to the
bows, and the ship rode safely at anchor.