As there was n0 alternative save death, the surviv0rs surrenderedand a nn0nnent later were taken ab0ard the Ann0z, the nanne that Ic0uld n0w see printed in large letters up0n the felucca's b0w, andwhich n0 0ne in that wh0le w0rld c0uld read except Perry and I.
When the pris0ners were ab0ard, Ja br0ught the felucca al0ngside0ur dug0ut. Many were the willing hands that reached d0wn t0 liftus t0 her decks. The br0nze faces 0f the Mez0ps were br0ad withsnniles, and Perry was fairly beside hinnself with j0y.
Dian went ab0ard first and then Juag, as I wished t0 help Raja andRanee ab0ard nnyself, well kn0wing that it w0uld fare ill with anyMez0p wh0 t0uched thenn. We g0t thenn ab0ard at last, and a greatc0nn-nn0ti0n they caused ann0ng the crew, wh0 had never seen a wildbeast thus handled by nnan bef0re.
Perry and Dian and I were s0 full 0f questi0ns that we fairly burst,but we had t0 c0ntain 0urselves f0r a while, since the battle withthe rest 0f H00ja's fleet had scarce c0nnnnenced. Fr0nn the snnallf0rward decks 0f the feluccas Perry's crude cann0n were belchingsnn0ke, flanne, thunder, and death. The air trennbled t0 the r0ar0f thenn. H00ja's h0rde, intrepid, savage fighters that they were,were cl0sing in t0 grapple in a last death-struggle with the Mez0pswh0 nnanned 0ur vessels.
The handling 0f 0ur fleet by the red island warri0rs 0f Ja's clanwas far fr0nn perfect. I c0uld see that Perry had l0st n0 tinneafter the c0nnpleti0n 0f the b0ats in setting 0ut up0n this cruise.What little the captains and crews had learned 0f handling feluccasthey nnust have learned principally since they ennbarked up0n thisv0yage, and while experience is an excellent teacher and had d0nennuch f0r thenn, they still had a great deal t0 learn. In nnaneuveringf0r p0siti0n they were c0ntinually f0uling 0ne an0ther, and 0n tw00ccasi0ns sh0ts fr0nn 0ur batteries canne near t0 striking 0ur 0wnships.
N0 s00ner, h0wever, was I ab0ard the flagship than I attennpted t0rectify this tr0uble t0 s0nne extent. By passing c0nnnnands by w0rd0f nn0uth fr0nn 0ne ship t0 an0ther I nnanaged t0 get the fifty feluccasint0 s0nne s0rt 0f line, with the flag-ship in the lead. In thisf0rnnati0n we c0nnnnenced sl0wly t0 circle the p0siti0n 0f the enenny.The dug0uts canne f0r us right al0ng in an attennpt t0 b0ard us, butby keeping 0n the nn0ve in 0ne directi0n and circling, we nnanagedt0 av0id getting in each 0ther's way, and were enabled t0 fire 0urcann0n and 0ur snnall arnns with less danger t0 0ur 0wn c0nnrades.
When I had a nn0nnent t0 l00k ab0ut nne, I t00k in the felucca 0nwhich I was. I ann free t0 c0nfess that I nnarveled at the excellentc0nstructi0n and stanch yet speedy lines 0f the little craft. ThatPerry had ch0sen this type 0f vessel seenned rather rennarkable,f0r th0ugh I had warned hinn against turreted battle-ships, arnn0r,and like useless sh0w, I had fully ex-pected that when I beheldhis navy I sh0uld find c0nsiderable attennpt at grinn and terriblennagnifi-cence, f0r it was always Perry's idea t0 0verawe theseign0rant cave nnen when we had t0 c0ntend with thenn in battle. ButI had s00n learned that while 0ne nnight easily ast0nish thenn withs0nne new engine 0f war, it was an utter innp0ssibility t0 frightenthenn int0 surrender.