“I think I could manage a rifle now, Mr Johnson,” said the lad, with his teeth chattering from cold.
“I don’t,” was the abrupt reply. “Now, my lads, not a sound; we have a disgrace to wipe out, and this prahu must be ours.”
By this time the long swift boat was rapidly approaching, quite invisible to the little party of English, but audible enough; and they waited eagerly till it seemed as if she was bearing down upon them, when, with a short, sharp warning first to be ready, the lieutenant gave the word Fire! when about fifteen rifles went off almost like one, their flashes lighting up the darkness for an instant, and displaying close upon them the long dark prahu, with a long bank of oars, coming down fast.
“Oars! Give way!” shouted the lieutenant; and almost as he spoke, the prahu changed her course so rapidly that there was but little rowing needed, for instead of avoiding them, the vessel came right at the English boat, trying to run her down, being so nearly successful that she ripped her down to the water’s edge just by the bows. There was a crash of breaking oars; but the Malay boat dashed rapidly away, leaving the English helpless and sinking on the river.
“Catch this boat cloak,” cried the lieutenant who was ready enough in the emergency. “Stuff it in, and one of you sit back against it.”
“It’ll take two on us, sir,” cried the man, who rapidly obeyed orders, and to some extent checked the rush of water.
“Two of you begin baling,” cried the lieutenant next; and then, as he saw that all their efforts would only just keep them afloat, “There, my lads,” he said, “we’ve done our best. One more volley and then I think we had better run her ashore.”
Another volley was fired, to give warning to the steamer that there was something extraordinary on the way, and then the boat’s head was turned to the shore; but as they found that by constant baling they could just keep afloat, the lieutenant altered their direction, and they rowed on, with the gunwale nearly level with the water’s edge, and proceeding very slowly, but ever carried by the stream nearer to the steamer and the isle.
“A nice night’s work, Roberts,” said the lieutenant dolefully, as they sat deep in the water that washed from side to side; “lost both prahus, and got the boat crippled.”
“But we haven’t lost any men, sir,” said Bob, by way of comforting him.