Percy Adcock, however, was determined to go if possible. He was a
favourite among the men, and when he spoke to the bow-oar of the gig,
the latter promised to do anything he could to aid him to carry out his
wishes.
"We are to start at daybreak, Tom, so that it will be quite dark when
the boats are lowered. I will creep into the gig before that and hide
myself as well as I can under your thwart, and all you have got to do is
to take no notice of me. When the boat is lowered I think they will
hardly make me out from the deck, especially as you will be standing up
in the bow holding on with the boat-hook till the rest get on board."
"Well, sir, I will do my best; but if you are caught you must not let it
be known that I knew anything about it."
"I won't do that," Percy said. "I don't think there is much chance of
my being noticed until we get on board the junks, and then they won't
know which boat I came off in, and the first lieutenant will be too busy
to say anything. Of course I shall hear about it when I am on board
again; but I don't mind that so that I see the fun. Besides, I want to
send home some things to my sister, and she will like them all the
better if I can tell her I captured them on board some junks we seized
and burnt."
The next morning the crews mustered before daybreak. Percy had already
taken his place under the bow thwart of the gig. The davits were swung
out, and two men took their places in her as she was lowered down by the
falls.
As soon as she touched the water the rest of the crew clambered down by
the ladder and took their places; then Fothergill took his seat in the
stern, and the boat pushed off and lay a few lengths away from the ship
until the heavier boats put off. As soon as they were under weigh Percy
crawled out from his hiding-place and placed himself in the bow, where
he was sheltered by the bodies of the oarsmen from Fothergill's sight.
Day was just breaking now, but it was still dark on the water, and the
boat rowed very slowly until it became lighter. Percy could just make
out the shores of the creek on both sides; they were but two or three
feet above the level of the water, and were evidently submerged at high
tide.
The creek was about a hundred yards wide, and the lad could not see far
ahead, for it was full of sharp windings and turnings. Here and there
branches joined it, but the boats were evidently following the main
channel. After another half-hour's rowing the first lieutenant suddenly
gave the order "Easy all," and the men, looking over their shoulders,
saw a village a quarter of a mile ahead, with the two junks they had
chased the night before lying in front of it. Almost at the same moment
a sudden uproar was heard--drums were beaten and gongs sounded.
"They are on the look-out for us," the first lieutenant said. "Mr.
Mason, do you keep with me and attack the junk highest up the river; Mr.
Bellew and Mr. Fothergill, do you take the one lower down. Row on,
men."
The oars all touched the water together, and the four boats leapt
forward. In a minute a scattering fire of gingals and matchlocks was
opened from the junks, and the bullets pattered on the water round the
boats. Percy was now kneeling up in the bow. As they passed a branch
channel three or four hundred yards from the village, he started and
leapt to his feet.
"There are four or five junks in that passage, Fothergill; they are
poling out."
The first lieutenant heard the words.
"Row on, men; let us finish with these craft ahead before the others get
out. This must be that piratical village we have heard about, Mr.
Mason, as lying up one of these creeks; that accounts for those two
junks not going higher up. I was surprised at seeing them here, for
they might guess that we should try to get them this morning. Evidently
they expected to catch us in a trap."