Then we ran to the side, and looked for Slade. He was swimming easily about a hundred yards astern, holding the form of Miss Aline with one hand, and keeping her head clear of the water. All about were the forms of swimming Chinamen.
Quickly backing the headsails, we sent the schooner astern, drifting down upon the mate. I made a line fast to a life buoy, and flung it far out. After what seemed a long time, we finally had the mate fast to it, and were hauling him in. Soon he was taken aboard, and Miss MacDonald was carried below. Then we went to work trying to pick up the Chinks.
Many of these refused to come aboard, preferring to die in the sea. Some we caught and dragged up forcibly. We caught most of them, and then hauled our wind for the two boats that were now almost out of sight.
Within a couple of hours we had the first alongside, and she surrendered. In it was Miss Aline's aunt, and she was passed below insensible. The other boat took longer to get, but we finally got her alongside, and the men out of her. Forty-seven Chinks stood the muster. We had lost ten of them and two of our men in the fracas. Miss MacDonald came out of her faint, and from her room, where she had locked herself. She fell into the arms of her niece.
"Oh, the brave men, those romantic sailors, those heroes!" she cried, in an ecstasy of joy, and she gave me a look worth millions.
"Hush!" said Miss Aline. "Perhaps if those heroes had been a little more gentle there would have been no trouble—but I am glad we are saved. Mr. Slade risked his life for me."
The Kanaka cook crawled from the lower hold, where he had hidden at the first outcry, and the stewardess came from the lazaret. We came into Honolulu that evening with the police flag flying, and turned the big Chink over to the authorities for treatment. His lieutenant of the walrus mustaches was missing.
Miss Aline came on deck to look around. She saw Slade, and went to him. What she said to him was none of my business, but Slade was a good man and a good mate. Afterward she came to the mizzen where I stood like a bandaged soldier.
"I suppose you'll not make the rest of the voyage with us?" I asked.
"Why not?" she asked.