I tried my best, but I could only make out a blurred mass of men on board both junks. They seemed to be swaying to and fro, and the smoke, instead of passing off, once more grew thicker, and in place of being white and steamy, it now looked to be of a dirty inky black, completely enveloping the vessels and our boats. This I reported. "They surely cannot have set them on fire?" said Mr Reardon. "I can't see any flames, sir." Silence again; and we found that the firing had ceased, all but a sharp crack from time to time, sounds evidently made by rifles. But there was nothing more to see, and, in spite of the angry appeals of the lieutenant, I could report no more than that the black smoke was growing thicker, and hanging down over the water, hiding everything, to the bushes and trees upon the bank. And now, as I gave one glance down, I saw that the captain was walking to and fro upon the bridge, evidently in a great state of excitement, for there was not a sound now; the firing had quite ceased; the black cloud seemed to have swallowed up our four boats and men; and a chilly feeling of despair began to attack me, as I wondered whether it was possible that our poor fellows had been beaten, and the boats burned by the stink-pots the pirates had thrown in. The thought was almost too horrible to bear, and I stared hard through the glass again, trying to make out the junks beyond the smoke, and whether it was really our boats which where burning, and raising the black cloud which hid all view. "I can see a boat now, sir," I cried excitedly, as one of them seemed to glide out of the end of the cloud; but my heart sank as I made the announcement, for I saw only that which confirmed my fears. "Well, go on, lad," cried Mr Reardon, stamping with impatience, "what are they doing in her?" "She's empty, sir, and floating away, with a cloud of black smoke rising from her." "Ah!" he exclaimed, with quite a savage snarl, and I saw the captain stop short and raise his glass again, though I knew that from where he stood he could see nothing. "We're beaten," I said to myself. "Oh, our poor lads--our poor lads!" A mist rose before my eyes, and I nearly dropped the glass, but I passed my hand across my face and looked again, sweeping the telescope from the left side, where the boat was gliding up-stream smoking more than ever, to the right and the shore. "Hooray!" I yelled. "Yes! what?" roared the captain and Mr Reardon together. "Chinese running in a regular stream away from the shore; making for the woods. One down--another down." At the same moment almost came a couple of volleys, then several men went down, and the crackle of firing commenced again. "Go on, Herrick!" cried Mr Reardon. "Our fellows ashore, and running Jacks and jollies together, sir. Stopping to fire. Running again." "And the enemy?" "Running like deer, sir. More of them down. Making for the wood." "One man stopped, sir, and returning."