Cuar?XXI.] PIRATES BEAT OFF. 393 
decks. ‘ Now,” said I to our helmsmen, “ keep 
your eyes fixed on me, and the moment you see me 
fall flat on the deck you must do the same, or you 
will be shot.” I knew that the pirate, who was 
now on our stern, could not bring his guns to bear 
upon us without putting his helm down and 
bringing his gangway at right angles with our 
stern, as his guns were fired from the gangway. 
I therefore kept a sharp eye upon his helmsman, 
and the moment I saw him putting the helm down 
I ordered our steersmen to fall flat on their faces 
behind some wood, and at the same moment did so 
myself. We had scarcely done so, when bang! 
bang! went their guns, and the shot came whizzing 
close over us, splintering the wood about us in all 
directions. Fortunately none of us were struck. 
“ Now, mandarin, now! they are quite close 
enough,” cried out my companions, who did not 
wish to have another broadside like the last. I, 
being of the same opinion, raised myself above the 
high stern of our junk; and while the pirates were 
not more than twenty yards from us, hooting and 
yelling, I raked their decks fore and aft, with shot 
and ball from my double-barrelled gun. 
Had a thunder-bolt fallen amongst them, they 
could not have been more surprised. Doubtless, 
many were wounded, and probably some killed. 
At all events, the whole of the crew, not fewer than 
forty or fifty men, who, a moment before, crowded 
the deck, disappeared in a marvellous manner; 
sheltering themselves behind the bulwarks, or 
