“Well, I hope not, sir, but it looks very black. If they had pounced upon them sudden, and there had been no fighting, they might have kept them prisoners a day or two till they made a grand feast and killed them; but that firing we heard settles it to my mind. I should say there ain’t no manner of doubt that our fellows will have killed some of the niggers, and I expect that the two canoes closed in on them, and then it would be all over in a minute.” When the canoes were within a quarter of a mile the rowers broke into a sort of chant, with occasional wild shouts and yells. “There they come,” Wilcox said as two long canoes, paddling abreast, rounded a turn in the river a short distance away. “There must be something like fifty men in each canoe.” In a short time the canoes came along at a high rate of speed. The sailor gave a sudden exclamation of fury. “What is it?” Steve asked. “Don’t you see, sir, in the stern of each of the canoes, piled up by the steering oar, there are some heads.” “I can’t look at them,” Steven said, drawing back from his peep-hole through the leaves. “They are whites,” the sailor muttered. “There ain’t no doubt about it. I would give all my pay for the voyage to have the _Tiger’s_ crew here, that we might give them murdering villains a volley.” But Stephen did not hear him; he had thrown himself down, and the tears were running down his cheeks. The loss of the second mate, who had always been cheery and kind, and of his fellow apprentice, Joyce, completely unnerved him. Up to now he had hoped, but what before had been doubt as to their fate had now been converted into certainty. “Don’t give way, Master Steve,” the sailor said, stooping over him and laying his hand on his shoulder. “It is a bad job, there ain’t no denying it. What happened to them half an hour ago may happen to us before long; we have got to be up and doing, sir.” “You are right, Wilcox,” Steve said, as he rose to his feet. “In the first place, could you count the heads?” “No; there was a pile of them in each boat; there may have been three, there may have been four in each.” “Well, one thing is certain, Wilcox; we must find out if any of them are still alive, and if so we must try and get them out of the Malays’ hands.” “I am ready to try, sir. When a chap sees such a thing as that he don’t seem to care much for his life; and at least if we are caught we can polish off a few of the villains before we go under, so I am game to do anything you may order.” “It is not for me to order, Wilcox; I am only a young apprentice, and you are an experienced sailor; and now that we are alone and in danger together, it is for you to lead.” “Well, if that is the way you look at it, sir, I am willing to do all I can; and if we find there is any of our mates alive we will get them out if it is possible, never fear.” “Do you think those canoes are going to put to sea?” Steve asked.