"No, sir, I don't think it is," said Bob, "for it won't frighten the niggers, and my gun would." The night seemed to have come on darker than ever, and the rocket stars shone with wonderful brilliancy as they descended lower, and lower, and lower, some even to reach the water before they went out, and just as the last was floating down, Ali, who was close to the two officers, suddenly started, grasped Bob's arm, and exclaimed sharply,-- "Prahus!" He was pointing with one hand down the stream, but on the middy gazing in the required direction it was too dark to see anything. "I can see none," he said. "Where?" "Two prahus coming up rapidly," said Ali; "be ready to fire." "Not so fast, young sir," said the lieutenant. "Will that steam never be up? Roberts," he cried, "touch the trigger of that life-buoy." The middy obeyed, and a life-buoy dropped over the side with a splash, a port-fire at the same moment bursting out into a brilliant blue glare, which, as the buoy floated down rapidly with the stream, lit-up the trees on either shore, made the water flash, but above all showed out plainly to all on board a couple of large prahus coming rapidly up the stream, the many sweeps out on either side making the water foam and flash in the blue light shed by the buoy. "There!" said Ali excitedly, "they are Rajah Gantang's prahus. Fire at them." "Not so fast, sir," said the lieutenant. "I must first be sure that they are enemies." He was soon assured of that fact, for as the steamer was lit-up by the port-fire as well as the prahus, _bang, bang, bang, bang_, one after the other, came the reports of the brass guns the two long boats had on board, and a hail of small iron balls came whistling through the rigging. "There's no doubt about it now," said the lieutenant grimly; and giving the orders as the prahus rapidly advanced, evidently with the intention of boarding, the two big guns on the port-side thundered out a reply, splashing the water all over one prahu, and going through the matting boarding-screen of the other; but otherwise doing no harm. The prahus replied, and for a few minutes there was a sharp duel kept up, at the end of which time the oars were seen being swiftly plied, and the two boats went on up stream at a rapid rate, the steamer firing at them as long as they were visible by the lights they had on board. "Was anything ever so vexatious?" cried the lieutenant. "Here we lie like a log upon the water. Will that steam never be up?" Just then the welcome news was given, and the order was passed down to the engine-room; the screw began to revolve, and the men cheered as the vessel's head was freed from the buoy, to which she had been moored, and they began to steam rapidly in the wake of the two prahus, whose lights had evidently passed to the left of the island.