“But I must get on board her somehow or other,” answered Jack, as he spoke, kicking off his shoes and throwing off his jacket. It had now grown very dark, though the constant flashes of the guns kept the scene well lighted up. The Blenny could be seen, though she had ceased firing, gliding on towards them. The pirates had been taking no notice of their prisoners for some time. The brig had got within a cable’s length of them.
“Now or never,” cried Jack. “Alick, in case I am drowned, you’ll do all I have asked you.” And without waiting for a reply, he sprang over the side of the junk, and catching hold of a rope, let himself down into the water without a splash, and struck off towards the brig. The pirates did not understand what he was doing till he had reached the water; at first they thought he was in despair going to drown himself, but when they saw him swimming away they began to fire at him with the jingalls. Favoured by the darkness, he was soon out of their sight. To avoid the sweeps, he had to make a wide circuit, and he was pretty well tired when he got under the stern of the brig.
“Brig ahoy. Heave a rope here, and help me aboard,” he sang out.
“A man overboard!” exclaimed some one from the afterpart of the deck.
“Pass a rope here; be smart now. Heave!”
“Who is it? who is it?” cried several voices.
“It’s I, Jack Rogers. Be quick, now, for I’ve had a long swim,” cried Jack. He soon got hold of the rope which was heaved to him, and was hauled on board over the stern.
“What! Rogers, my dear fellow, is it you?” exclaimed Captain Hemming, as he grasped his hand. “Where have you come from?”
Jack told him, and urged that they should immediately board the junk he had left, and rescue the rest of the prisoners.
“My only doubt is, whether we can get alongside her,” answered Captain Hemming. “However, we will try. I am glad to engage in any work with cold steel; but, Rogers, I am sorry to say that our ammunition is almost expended, and though we will not yield as long as a man remains alive to fight, I look with apprehension to what may occur.” The brig was now approaching the junk, which fired away furiously at her, but this did not stop her progress, and before the pirates knew what was going to happen, she dashed alongside.