They died helplessly, for into the tangled forest there was no escape, and their swift praus, in which they had so often scoured the coast and the seas, now wedged together in the narrow creek, were burning fiercely.
Babalatchi, with the clear perception of the coming end, devoted all his energies to saving if it was but only one of them.

He succeeded in time.
When the end came in the explosion of the stored powder-barrels, he was ready to look for his chief.

He found him half dead and totally blinded, with nobody near him but his daughter Aissa:--the sons had fallen earlier in the day, as became men of their courage.

Helped by the girl with the steadfast heart, Babalatchi carried Omar on board the light prau and succeeded in escaping, but with very few companions only.

As they hauled their craft into the network of dark and silent creeks, they could hear the cheering of the crews of the man-of-war's boats dashing to the attack of the rover's village.