The Malay made a gesture, gave an order or two, and a couple of the men descended into the officers' boat, made it fast astern, and as the second prahu came up, the first was already in motion. Then a brief colloquy ensued between the captains of the two vessels as they glided by, and the second followed them down stream.
"Very prettily fired off, Dick, lad," said Hollins; "but put in a little more powder next time. There's nothing like making a good bang."
"I'm not such a big gun as you are," said Beecher.
"You fire sharply, though, my lad. There: come along; let's look round the boat. Take it coolly; we're not krissed yet, and if we give it the sultan in his bamboo palace in the same way he'll drop us both as 'taters too hot for handling."
"I only hope he may."
The fierce-looking Malay crew looked puzzled as the young men began to saunter about the prahu, as coolly as if they were invited visitors, examining the rolled-up matting sails, the long sweeps used, and pausing long by the two little brass swivel guns.
"Ask him how far these will carry?" said Hollins.
Beecher turned to the captain and put the question, making the man frown; but he laughed directly after, and replied.
"Humph! poor clumsy things," growled Hollins contemptuously. "I could make better practice with a big gas-pipe plugged at one end."
"I'm not going to tell him that," said Beecher; "and I shouldn't like to stand at the plugged-up end."