Just then, as the man with the big sword approached Tom Jecks, and I was watching, I did not see but I knew that the other was close behind me and a little on my left. But it did not trouble me any more than it did to know that the fierce wretches were all gazing excitedly at us, and in a high state of delight at being able to slay two of their foes. It takes long to describe all this, but it happened very quickly. The man had raised his sword to strike at Tom Jecks, and I shuddered and looked aside, to see the great shadow of a man on the sand at my feet, and there was a sword raised close by me. At the same time Ching uttered a wild shriek, and the man who held his tail forced the poor fellow's head down in the sand, but in vain; he wrenched his head sidewise, raised it, and looked towards the cliff, while I flinched slightly, for the shadow moved, as he who made it drew back to strike. _Crash_! No: it was not the falling of the sword on my poor outstretched neck, but a volley from the top of the cliff, fired by twenty of our brave blue-jackets, and half-a-dozen of the pirates fell shrieking on the sands. I turned faint, but I recovered my senses as I saw Ching spring up, rush at a man on the sand, snatch up his sword and run to me. "Quick!" he cried; "jump up; fight!" Almost mechanically I obeyed him, and snatched a knife from the hands of one of the fallen men to defend my life, just as a second volley rolled forth from the cliff, directed at the pirates as they ran toward the ridge. For there was no need for us to fight--our enemies were in full retreat; and, as I looked up at the cliff, I could see our men drawn-up, and they were signalling evidently to some one out of sight. The next minute we were hailed. "Which is the way down?" "This way," cried Ching excitedly; and he ran south, pointing to the rift by which he had climbed the cliff, while I stood there--giddy, helpless, and at last sank down on my knees beside poor Tom Jecks, who was still muttering something about the storm. I recovered, however, enough to watch our men descending the rift--a perilous, break-neck place; but they did not hesitate, and in a few minutes all were down, formed up, and came toward us at the double. And now for the first time, at the head of those familiar faces, I saw Mr Reardon, who thrust his sword into his sheath as he drew near and literally rushed at me. "My dear boy!" he cried, giving me quite a fatherly hug; "thank God, we were just in time." I could not speak--I was too giddy; but I tried to look my thanks. "Not hurt, are you?" "No, sir; only faint." By this time the last of the pirates had passed over the ridge, and I felt irritated with Mr Reardon for not going in pursuit. But he did not read my countenance; he called one of the men out of the line, made him give me some water from his bottle, and bent down on his knees by poor Tom Jecks. "Ha!" he said; "fever from a wound. Give him some water too, my lad."