We caught the breeze from the land as soon as we cleared the steamer, and we rounded her bows and headed for the island, steering to pass the point of rocks which jutted out from the island into the channel.  Riggs said that he would cut her in toward shore, or the coast of the mainland, before reaching the point, unless the pirates showed themselves.

“We’ll make a northing up the channel,” he said, “If they think we are getting away they may take after us in a boat, or fire from the shore; but if we show we are going to land they will keep hidden and take us by surprise.  If we should head straight in now they would likely hide in the brush and pot-shot us as we land when we are in the surf; but you watch old Cap Riggs, and if we don’t give this Devil’s Admiral the fight of his life before this little party is wiped out, I’ll go back on the farm in Maine.  He can’t come aboard me and perform like that without getting paid for it—­Bloody Thirkle, Devil’s Admiral, nor nobody else.  You watch my smoke, young man.”

The leg-o’-mutton sail pulled steadily and we slapped along through the water at a merry pace, with the water bubbling at the lee rail and the ripples frothing up through the seams in the planks.  It was a wet craft, but we were in our bare feet, with our trousers rolled up.

Rajah was in the bow with his sarong twisted into a belt, and his black shoulders and arms bare to the sun, his head swathed in a turban made from a faded green port-curtain, giving him an outlandish aspect, reminding me of a pilgrim returning from Mecca.

“We’ve got Johnny Sharkee for an escort,” said Riggs, pointing aft, and I saw the fin of the big man-eater cutting the water in our wake.  “If he don’t sheer off by the time we are ready to make a landing, we may have to give him a bullet or two, but I want to get in without any racket if I can.”

We were soon in deep water, and Riggs made fast his tiller while he read a burial service out of a pocket-testament, and we dropped the body of Harris over the side.  It was a brief enough ceremony, and I was inclined to believe that Captain Riggs made it altogether too much a matter of little account, until I saw there was a tear in his eye, and he hastily used the binoculars on the island.

“Put your helm to starboard,” he directed.  “I want to keep screened behind the point and gradually work in toward shore.  Then we’ll make a quick run for it in near the point, if they don’t show by the time we have the inlet on this side of the rocks abeam.  They probably went around the point, and we’ll hunt for ’em on that side if we can make a safe landing.”

We slopped along for another while, and slowly worked in until we had the beach less than five hundred yards away.

“Swing her for the open sea again,” said Riggs.  “I’ll trim the sail, so if they are watching us they’ll think we are making a board to run out.  Keep low, all hands, and at the first shot drop to the deck and keep covered, and we’ll manoeuvre out of reach until dark.  If they press us, we’ll let ’em get up close, so they’ll think we have no weapons, and then we’ll open up on ’em at close range and settle it.”