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Updated: May 22, 2025
They will hear it on board, and be on the look-out, and if they don't sink her as she goes by them, why, it's a wonder." Almost directly after there was the report of a couple of rifles, and then two more at half-minute intervals, while right on ahead, in the darkness, they could hear the heavy beat of the prahu's sweeps, and knew that she was going more rapidly than they.
This was as the bowman held the cutter close up against the prahu's side with his boat-hook. "If one on 'em keeps the cutter alongside, sir, I can get up, and then make fast a rope," said the bowman.
As the prahu's nose touched the bank Muda Saffir stepped aboard and with many protestations of gratitude explained that he had fallen overboard from his own prahu the night before and that evidently his followers thought him drowned, since none of his boats had returned to search for him.
The danger was, however, averted by old Dick, who seized a boat-hook, and hitching it on the prahu's side, gave so sturdy a haul that he drew the boat some six feet along, and closer alongside. He was just in time, for as the boat grated against the prahu there was a sharp ringing report, and the water was thrown up close astern.
A few minutes of intense excitement followed, during which time every man sat with his finger on the trigger, listening to the regular beat of the prahu's long oars as she came sweeping down at a rapid rate, evidently bent upon making her escape, like her consort, out to sea. "If we only had a bow gun," muttered the lieutenant. "No you be still, Roberts," he continued; "you are weak and done up."
Up the river a few yards she caught the phosphorescent gleam of water upon the prahu's paddles as they brought her to a sudden stop in obedience to Ninaka's command. Then she saw the dark mass of the war-craft drifting down toward her. Again she dove and with strong strokes headed for the shore. The next time that she rose she was terrified to see the prahu looming close behind her.
In a short time the whole of the chief's followers were gathered on deck, and the boys saw that they were no more numerous than the prahu's crew, and that it was only the advantage of surprise that had enabled them to overcome so easily both those on board the prahu and the rajah's followers in the village.
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