As he got near he shouted out, “Back, back to the boats, or you will all be blown up!”
“No fear about that, now,” answered Desmond, from the deck of the nearest junk. “We found a burning fusee, sure enough, but took good care to throw it overboard. Hallo! where’s Rogers?” he exclaimed, looking down into the boat.
“Gone! The pirates have got hold of him, and may probably have cut his head off,” answered Billy.
“Gone! His head out off!” cried Desmond, in an agony of grief, although scarcely believing his messmate’s account; “How did you come away without him?”
“We could not help it,” answered Billy, in a melancholy tone. “We should all have been killed if we had not. We have as it is lost two poor fellows knocked over, and four wounded. That shows that we did not give up the attempt to rescue Rogers while there was a chance of success.”
“Pull round and report to Mr Norman what has occurred. I will go with you,” said Desmond, jumping into Billy’s boat.
The lieutenant was, of course, greatly grieved. “We must try and ascertain his fate, at all events. You did not see his head cut off?” he asked, turning to Billy.
“No, sir. We saw him in the pirates’ hands. They were dragging him along.”
“Then, perhaps they intend holding him as a hostage,” observed Mr Norman. “The junks do not appear to have much in them; and so, for fear lest the pirates should get on board again, we will set them on fire, and pull back to where you lost Rogers.”
Mr Norman at once gave the order, which the seamen executed with the delight of school-boys igniting huge bonfires, and then the three boats pulled back in the direction of the still burning junk. On reaching it Mr Norman landed his men, forming them in more regular order than Tom had done, four of the marines advancing in skirmishing order to feel the way.