"Come, sir, you're under my orders. Do what I bid you."
There was no resisting this, so Edgar turned, not unwillingly, and gave
his arm to Aileen, who seized it with a grateful eagerness that sent a
thrill of delight through all his frame.
"Come along, my lads," he cried. "Take care of Miss Pritty, poor
thing!" he added, turning to Rooney.
The Irishman obeyed. He stooped and lifted her in his arms. She had
been lying in a state of semi-insensibility with her eyes tightly shut.
The moment she felt herself being lifted, she clutched her protector by
the hair, and held on, shrieking.
"Ay, tug away, cushla!" said Rooney, as he moved after his friends,
"it's not much of _that_ ye'll manage to root up."
"Have you seen my father?" asked Aileen, anxiously, as they moved on
together.
"He is safe," answered Edgar; "I found him exhausted in the hut which he
told me you had occupied, and had him conveyed on board the gun-boat."
"Thank God!" exclaimed Aileen, fervently, "but," she added, with a
slight shudder, "it seemed to me as if his mind had been unhinged--and--
and he was wounded."
"A mere scratch on the temple," said Edgar, "yet sufficient, with
surrounding circumstances, to account for the temporary madness that
assailed him. Fear not, Aileen, he is safe now, through God's mercy,
and you shall soon be safe beside him."
A feeling of deep gratitude and restfulness stole over the poor girl's
spirit, and she almost wept for joy as they stepped into a small boat,
and were rowed over the calm water to the gun-boat, which lay, black and
still, under the deep shadow of a bank of luxuriant foliage.
"My child," said Mr Hazlit, sadly, as they reclined together on the
couches of the little cabin, while Edgar sat on a camp-stool near them,
Miss Pritty having been consigned to the captain's berth, "they tell me
that this fearful work is not yet over. There is to be more fighting
and bloodshed."
"How? What do you mean, papa?"
"Tell her, Mr Berrington."
"We have just had news sent us by a fast row-boat from a town about
sixty miles along the coast that a large fleet of pirate-prows have been
seen off the coast. They have taken several trading prows, and captured
many men belonging to the Sarawak territory, besides several Chinamen.
When our captain completes his work on shore here, he intends to start
at once in chase of these pirates, in the hope of destroying them and
freeing their slaves."
"God help us," said Aileen, "it seems as if men in this part of the
world, gloried in pouring out blood like water."
"Some of them undoubtedly do. Perhaps it may reconcile your mind to the
destruction of these miscreants to know that for every one killed there
will probably be saved the lives of dozens--if not hundreds--of innocent
men and women, whom he would have murdered, or doomed to hopeless
slavery, in the course of his wicked career."
As Edgar spoke, the sound of oars was heard. Presently the captain and
his men leaped on deck. The moorings were cast loose, our hero took his
station at the engine, and the gun-boat glided swiftly down the river,
leaving the pirate stronghold in flames.