“Ah!” ejaculated the captain. “Very bad?”
“Through his shoulder, father.”
“Did you meet one of the praus?”
“Yes, as we came across.”
“Gone to destroy your boat,” said the captain. “I heard the orders given. Now go down to the boat and tell Mr Gregory that we are partly prisoners here. I say partly, because I have barricaded the cabin-door. Tell him that one of the praus came alongside to beg for water. The crew said they were dying for want of it, and the scoundrels had hidden their arms. I can hardly tell now how it was done, my lad, but one moment I was giving orders for the water to be passed over the side, the next I was lying on the deck struck down, and when I came to, the men were secured below and the deck was in possession of the Malays, a second prau having come up and helped the men of the first.”
“But we heard firing, father?”
“Yes, my boy, so did I, as if it was in a dream, and I found afterwards that my poor lads had made a brave fight of it, and driven the first party out, but the crew were without a leader, and the Malays fired into them till they came close alongside and boarded together.”
“Was—was anyone killed?”
“Don’t ask now, my lad. Tell Gregory we were driven in here, and the ladies are all right. Ask him to climb up and talk the matter over with me, as to what we shall do.”
“Pst!” came from the cabin-window, and directly after Mr Gregory climbed in.