A moment later two of the largest craft of the pirates dashed alongside.  The instant they did so they were saluted with showers of boiling pitch, while pots full of Greek fire were thrown down upon them.  Those who tried to climb up the side of the Bonito were speared with lances or cut down with battleaxes.

The combat was of short duration.  Many of those on whom the boiling pitch had fallen jumped overboard in their agony, while others did the same to escape the Greek fire, which they in vain endeavoured to extinguish.  The fire quickly spread to the woodwork, and in five minutes after the beginning of the fight, the two craft dropped astern from the Bonito, with the flames already rising fiercely from them.

In the meantime the other vessels had not been idle, and a storm of missiles was poured upon the Bonito.  The fate which befell their comrades, however, showed them how formidable was the vessel they had regarded as an easy prey, and when the first assailants of the Bonito dropped astern, none of the others cared to take their places.

“Man the oars again!” the captain ordered, and the Bonito again moved forward, her crew stooping behind the bulwarks, while the archers only rose from time to time to discharge their shafts.

“The thing I am most afraid of,” the captain said to Francis, who was standing beside him, “is, that they will ram us with their prows.  The Bonito is strongly built, but the chances are that they would knock a hole in her.”

“I should think, captain, that if we were to get up some of those bales of cloth, and fasten ropes to them, we might lower them over the side and so break the shock.”

“It is worth trying, anyhow,” the captain said.

And a score of the sailors were at once sent down to fetch up the bales.  Ropes were fastened round these, and they were laid along by the bulwarks in readiness for being lowered instantly.  Ten bales were placed on each side, and three men told off to each bale.

By this time they were halfway to the mouth of the harbour, and the preparations were completed just in time, for the small boats suddenly drew aside, and two of the largest of the pirates’ craft, each rowed by twenty-four oars, dashed at her, one on each side.  The captain shouted the order, and the men all sprang to their feet.  It was seen at once that the vessels would both strike about midships.  Three bales on either side were raised to the bulwarks, and lowered down with the ropes until close to the water’s edge and closely touching each other.  Francis sprang on to the bulwark and superintended the operations on one side, while the captain did the same on the other.

“A few feet more astern, lads.  That is right.  Now, keep the bales touching.  You are just in the line.”

An instant later the Bonito reeled from the shock of two tremendous blows.  The bows of the pirates were stove in, but the thick bales enabled the Bonito to withstand the shock, although her sides creaked, the seams started, and the water flowed in freely.  But of this the crew thought little.  They were occupied in hurling darts, arrows, and combustibles into the pirates as these backed off, in an already sinking condition.