The girl shuddered, and crouching close behind Sing
hurried below. A moment later she heard the boom of
the old brass six pounder which for many years had
graced the Ithaca's stern. In the bow Professor Maxon
had mounted a modern machine gun, but this was quite
beyond Sing's simple gunnery. The Chinaman had not
taken the time to sight the ancient weapon carefully,
but a gleeful smile lit his wrinkled, yellow face as he
saw the splash of the ball where it struck the water
almost at the side of the prahu.

Sing realized that the boat might contain friendly natives,
but he had cruised these waters too many years to take chances.
Better kill a hundred friends, he thought, than be captured
by a single pirate.

At the shot the prahu slowed up, and a volley of
musketry from her crew satisfied Sing that he had made
no mistake in classifying her. Her fire fell short as
did the ball from the small cannon mounted in her bow.

Virginia was watching the prahu from one of the cabin
ports. She saw the momentary hesitation and confusion
which followed Sing's first shot, and then to her
dismay she saw the rowers bend to their oars again and
the prahu move swiftly in the direction of the Ithaca.

It was apparent that the pirates had perceived the
almost defenseless condition of the schooner. In a few