"I was," said Captain Smithers, angry with himself at being as it were obliged to speak as he did, to this simple private of his regiment. "And you advise it?" "Advise it, sir? For heaven's sake--for the sake of the ladies whom we have to defend, let us fight till the last gasp, and then send a few shots into the magazine. Better death than the mercy of a set of cut-throat pirates." Captain Smithers was silent for a few moments, and then he said quietly,-- "I should not have surrendered, Gray. You are quite right." He hesitated for a moment or two, and then said hoarsely,-- "Gray, we hate each other." "This is no time for hatred, sir," said Gray, sternly. "No," said Captain Smithers, "it is not. In half an hour we shall be, in all human probability, dead men. Rank will be no more. Gray, I never in my heart doubted your honesty. You are a brave man. Now for duty." "Yes, sir," said Gray, in a deeply moved voice--"for duty." _Crash_! There was a sharp ragged volley from the enemy at that moment as a body of them advanced, and a shriek of agony from close by, followed by a fall. "Some poor fellow down," said the Captain, hoarsely. "Who is it, Sergeant Lund?" he said, taking a dozen strides in the direction of the cry. "Private Sim, sir. Shot through the heart--dead!" The captain turned away, and the next minute the fight on all sides was general, the enemy winning their way nearer and nearer, and a couple of prahus sending a shower of ragged bullets from their brass lelahs over the attacking party's heads. "Stand firm, my lads; stand firm. Your bayonets, boys!" cried Captain Smithers, as with a desperate rush the Malays dashed forward now to carry the place by assault, and in sufficient numbers to sweep all before them--when _boom! boom! boom! boom_! came the reports of heavy guns, and the fire from the prahus ceased. "Hurrah! my lads; steady!" cried Tom Long, waving his sword. "The steamer! the steamer!" "No," cried Captain Smithers, "it is from below. It is a heavily-armed prahu." "No," cried Tom Long; "a steamer! a steamer!" He was right, for a little gunboat was rapidly ascending the river, and one of the prahus began to settle down in front of the fort, while the other used her sweeps to get away. Another minute, and just when they had won an entrance, beating back the defenders of the barricaded gateways, a panic seized upon the Malays, for shell after shell was dropping and bursting in their midst; and before Captain Smithers and his brave little party could realise the fact, the enemy was in full retreat. A quarter of an hour later, and the gunboat was moored abreast of the fort, and congratulations were being exchanged.