"Silence!" cried the captain sternly. "Go on, Mr Herrick; report." "Smoke from the junks, sir--white," I cried, and the words were hardly out of my mouth when there came the report of guns--first one and then another; then two together; and I fancied that I could see the water splashing up round about the boats, but I could not be sure. "Boats separating," I shouted. "Go on." "Pulling hard for the junks." "Yes, go on; report everything." I needed no orders, for I was only too eager to tell everything I saw. "Two boats have gone to the right; two to the left.--More firing from the junks.--Boats separating more.--Two going round behind.--Both out of sight." By this time, in addition to the sharp reports of the small guns on board the junks, the sharper crackle of matchlocks and muskets had begun; but so far I had not seen a puff of smoke from our boats. "Are our men firing?" "No, sir; the two boats I can see are pulling straight now for the junks.--Now the water splashes all about them." "Yes? Hit?" "Don't think so, sir.--Now.--Ah!" "What--what is it, boy?" "Can't see anything, sir; they've rowed right into the smoke." My hands which held the telescope were quite wet now with the excitement of the scene I had tried to describe to my superior officer, and I thrust the glass under my left arm, and rubbed them quickly on my handkerchief, as I gazed at the distant smoke, and listened to the crackle of musketry alone, for the guns had now ceased from fire. This I felt must be on account of the boats coming to closer quarters, and then to the men boarding. But I could see nothing but the smoke, and I raised the glass to my eye again. Still nothing but smoke. I fancied, though, that the firing was different--quicker and sharper--as if our men must have begun too. "Well, Mr Herrick?" now came from below. "Surely you can see how the fight is going on?" "No, sir, nothing but smoke,--Yes," I cried excitedly, "it's lifting now, and floating away to the left. I can see close up to the junks. Yes; now the decks. Our right boat is empty, and there is a great fight going on upon the junk." "And the other?" "There are two boats close up, and our men are firing. There is black smoke coming out of one boat. Now the men are climbing up, and--now, the smoke is too thick there." "Go on, boy; go on," shouted the first lieutenant, stamping about, while the captain stood perfectly still, gazing at the rising smoke, from the bridge. "They seem to be fighting very hard, sir," I said, trembling now like a leaf. "I can see quite a crowd, and that some of the people are in white." "But who is getting the best of it?" "I can't see, sir," I said sadly. "Then for goodness' sake come down, and let some one else come up," roared Mr Reardon. "Yes, sir." "No, no; stay where you are, boy. But use your glass--use your glass."