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But our captain says all praus are so; and though he acknowledges the danger, "he does not know how to alter it the people are used to it; he does not understand praus so well as they do, and if such a great alteration were made, he should be sure to have difficulty in getting a crew!"
The journey seemed interminable, but in spite of the thunder and coming darkness they toiled on, keeping a sharp look-out over the lagoon lest those they sought should have been in the gloom. By degrees, though, the obscurity grew less, and seemed to be slowly floating in the direction of the praus.
In the act of turning Mark caught sight of one of the praus glistening as if gilded, and just a slighter glimpse of the second prau, while for a minute or two all sat in silent dread of their having been seen.
"Ahoy!" answered the mate, who was leading, with Mark next; and the next minute they were face to face with the four men who had been left with the boat. "What is it, my lads?" he panted. "Pirates, sir, praus!" "Nonsense!" cried the mate fiercely. "'Strue as true, sir.
The hours crept by as they toiled on exerting themselves to the utmost, for one of the dreads that oppressed them, now that they were out of sight of the praus, was that they would not get to Crater Bay before their friends started to go round the other way, though, saving on their own account, there was a certain hopefulness about their position, since the last they had seen of the praus showed them that they were coming their way, and therefore they might not see the gig and its occupants after all.
The light increased, and there seemed to be nothing to prevent the little vessel from passing safely round the southern point, for the water looked smoothness itself; but none knew better than the captain the rocks that were in his path, while away to his right over the northern arm of the bay lay three praus teeming with bloodthirsty savage men who would be ready to rush in pursuit the moment they were seen.
My first duty was to the ships. I had to put an end to this impossible situation and I hope you will agree that I have done it in a seamanlike way. One misty morning I moved the brig nearer the sandbank and directly the mist cleared I opened fire on the praus of those savages which were anchored in the channel.
When the Moro Ocuna Lacasamana and his followers killed Diego Belloso, Blas Ruyz de Hernan Goncales, and the Castilians and Portuguese with them in the kingdom of Camboja, we said that Joan de Mendoca Gamboa with father Fray Joan Malclonado, and his associate, Don Antonio Malaver, Luys de Villafane, and other Spaniards who escaped by embarking with him in his vessel, descended the river with his vessel toward the sea, defending themselves against some Cambodian and Malayan praus which pursued them until they crossed the bar.
The gig was anchored as the men had said, but it was at some distance from the shore to which the men must have waded; and he recollected now how wet they had been. There before him was a small boat of Malay build coming from one of the praus, full of men, some rowing, some standing up with spears in their hands.
He heard Shaw walk smartly forward above his head hailing: "What's that a boat?" A voice answered indistinctly. "One of my boats is back," thought Lingard. "News about Daman perhaps. I don't care if he kicks. I wish he would. I would soon show her I can fight as well as I can handle the brig. Two praus. Only two praus. I wouldn't mind if there were twenty.
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