For there was a desperate fight going on at the piece of wreck; three men, knife in hand, were trying to get upon the floating wood, and those upon it stabbing at them to keep them off.

But, in their despair, the swimmers made a dash together, regardless of the blows, climbed on, and a terrible struggle began.

"Starn all!" roared Mr Grey; and the boat's progress was checked. We were backed away just in time, for the pirates were all now on one side of the piece of wreck, thinking of nothing but destroying each other's lives, and heaped together in what looked like a knot, when the side they were on slowly sank, the far portion rose up and completely turned over upon them, forcing them beneath the water, which eddied and boiled as the struggle still went on below the surface.

"Give way, my lads," said the officer sternly; "let's try and save some of the others."

"Ay, ay," cried the man who had shouted before. "These here arn't worth saving."

The boat swept round in a curve, and we pulled off for another group, kneeling and crouching upon what seemed to be a yard and a ma.s.s of matting-sail.

Mr Grey stood up.

"Now, my lads," he shouted, "surrender."

For answer they bared their knives and defied us to come on, yelling and striking at us with them.

Mr Grey looked round at me half-laughingly.

"Cheerful sort of prisoners to make. If we go close in, some of us will get knifed."

"You can't go close," I said.

"If I don't they'll drown," he cried; "and the captain will ask me what I've been about."

"Hadn't you better let the jollies put 'em out of their misery, Mr Grey, sir?" cried one of the men. "They arn't fit to live."

"No," cried another fiercely. "They arn't men; they're tigers."

"Silence!" said the officer sternly. "There is a man yonder about to sink; give way," he cried.

This man had left a barrel, to which he had vainly tried to cling, but it kept on turning round; and at last, in his despair, he had left it to try and swim to the nearest rocks.

His strength was failing, though, and he began to paddle like a dog, too much frightened to try and swim.

A few strokes of the oar took us within reach, and this time the c.o.xswain succeeded in hooking his loose cotton jacket, and drawing him to the side.

Hands seized him directly, and he was hauled in to lie down trembling, and looking wildly from one to the other.

"Come; he's a quiet one," said the c.o.xswain. "Mind, sir!"

"Mind! look out!" roared the boatswain.

But he was too late. One moment the Chinaman crouched, limp and helpless, in the bottom of the boat forward, with his hands hidden in his wet sleeves, the next he had made a frog-like leap at the c.o.xswain, driven a sharp knife in the muscles of his back, and leaped overboard.

Not into safety, though; for one of the men stood ready, and, as the wretch rose, brought down the blade of his oar with a tremendous chop across the head, and the pirate went down to rise no more.

I heard the boatswain utter a low fierce growl as he crept forward, and I followed to try and help, for the injured man had sunk upon his knees, with the boat-hook across the bows, and began to wipe the perspiration from his forehead.

"Much hurt, my lad?" cried Mr Grey.

"Tidy, sir, tidy; makes one feel a bit sicky-like. Any one like to have the next turn with the boat-hook? I'm going to miche a bit.--Do it bleed?"

All thought of saving the pirates was given up till the wound, which bled sharply, was carefully bandaged, and the man laid down in the bottom of the boat. Then the crew looked at their officer.

"Hadn't we better polish 'em off, sir?" growled one of the men.

"The captain's orders were to pick up all the drowning men we could,"

said the boatswain sternly.

"But they won't be picked up, sir."

"Give way."

The men rowed to another floating group of four, and I stood up and called to them to surrender.

For answer they sprang into the water, and began to swim to some of their comrades on the next piece of wreck.

"This is a puzzling job, Mr Herrick," said the boatswain. "I'm not a brute; I'd jump overboard to save any of the wretches, but it would be like giving my life, or the lives of any of the crew, to set them the job. Those wretches will begin upon their mates, you'll see."

He was quite right, for the possessors of the next floating piece of wreck yelled to their comrades to keep off, and, as they still swam on, a fresh fight began of the most bloodthirsty nature, and one of our men said drily--

"Take it coolly, sir. If we lay on our oars a bit, there won't be none to fish up."

The feeling of horror and pity for the drowning men began to wear off, and I was glad when Mr Grey suddenly ordered the men to row hard, and I saw him steer sh.o.r.eward to cut off a little party of four, who, with a thick bamboo yard between them, were swimming for the rocks.

"They must be saved as prisoners or not at all," he said sternly; "not a man of them must land."

As soon as this last party saw us coming, we noticed that they drew their knives to keep us off, but energetic measures were taken this time. We got between them and the sh.o.r.e; and then a rope was made ready, one of the men stood up and dexterously threw it right over a pirate's head, s.n.a.t.c.hed it tightly to him, dragged him from his hold, and he was at last drawn to the side half-drowned, hauled aboard, and his hands and feet tied.

This successful plan was followed out with the others, with the result that we had four prisoners lying safely in the bottom, and then turned to capture some more in the same way.

But we had been so excited and taken up by this work that we had not seen what was going on seaward, where a gun was fired for our recall.

"Where's the next of them?" said Mr Grey.

I did not answer, as I stood up looking round to see a few fragments of wreck floating here and there, but there was not another pirate left to save.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

REPAIRING DAMAGES.

For some moments I could not believe it true, and I stood on the thwart and gazed carefully round, scanning every fragment of the wreck in the expectation of seeing some trick to deceive us--men lying flat with only their faces above the surface of the water, and holding on by sweep or bamboo with one hand. But in a very short time we were all certain that not a living being was near; of the dead there were several, as we found on rowing here and there. One, as he was turned over, seemed to be perfectly uninjured, but the others displayed ghastly wounds in face, neck, and breast, showing how horribly fierce had been the encounter in which they had been engaged.

Satisfied at last that our task was at an end, the word was given, and the men began to row back to the _Teaser_, which still lay so transformed in appearance, as seen from a distance, that I was thinking that it was no wonder that the pirates had been deceived, when one of the men, forgetful of all the horrors through which we had pa.s.sed, of his wounded comrade, and the dangerous prisoners under his feet, burst out into a merry fit of laughter.

"Say, lads," he cried, "we shall have a nice job to-morrow, to wash the old girl's face."