The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-02-09
THE IRON PIRATE
A Plain Tale Of Strange
Happenings on the Sea
BY MAX PEMBERTON
CHAPTER X.-(Continued.)

CHAPTER A.-tContlnueu)
Eve must act now" said Roderick, BE
fore they miss their man. They've stopped
the engines, and we shall drop behind
the others. There's only one chance, and
that is to surprise them. Let's rush 1t,
and take the Odds"
"If l went" said Mary, what could
they do to me? I'm going now; while
I'm talking to them they won't be looking
for you"
She ran up the companion-way, stand
Ing at the top; while we cooked our pis-
tolls and crept after her. Then we lay nat
to the deck, as she ran noiselessly amid
ships, and into the very center OF the hve
men. To our establishment, they gave a
great howl of terror at the sight OF her
for she seemed but thing of shadow how
erng upon the ship-and bolted headlong
forward while we rushed in a body to
the hurricane deck and faced PaolO. He
turned very white. Dan served him as the
other, and hit him with his pistol, so that
he rolled senseless off the narrow bridge,
and we heard the thud of his head against
the iron of the engine room hatch. He
had scarce fallen when Mary, with the
laugh still upon her lips, reeled at the
sight of him, and fell fainting in my
arms.
The skipper got the whole situation at
the first look. He came 10 us with cou-
pie of rifles. We were now all crouchlng
together by the wheel amidships, for
Mary had recovered. By the full moon we
saw dark shadows across the hatch. The
men were behind the galley. The skipper
hailed them.
"You, Karl. Williams-are you coming
out now, for me to fog you, or will you
swing at New York? You've got couple
of planks between you and eternity. I'm
going to fire through that galley"
He raised his rifle at the word, and let
60 straight at the corner of the light wood
erection A dull groan followed, and by
the shadow on the deck l saw one man
fall forward: his blood ran in a thick
stream out to the top of the hatchway,
and then ran back as the ship heaved to
the seas.
There's one down amongst you," said
the skipper; ''but that's the beginning of
it; I'm going to blow that shanty to
pieces, and you with it"
He raised his rifle, but as he did so one
of them answered for the first time with
his revolver, and the bullet sang above our
heads. The shippers shot was quick in
reply; and the wood of the shanty flew in
splnters as the bullet shivered it. A sec
ond man sprang to his feet with a shout,
and then fell across the deck, lying full to
be seen in the moonlight.
That's two Of you," continued the
skipper, as calm as ever he was in Ports
mouth harbor; well make it three for
luck" But at the suggestion they all
made run forward, and lay fiat right out
by the cable. There we could hear them
blubbering like children.
They fired three shots as we rushed on
them but the butt ends of the two mus
kets did the rest. Three of them went
down straight as. felled poplars. The
others fell upon their knees and implored
mercy and they got it, but not until the
skipper, who now seemed reused to all the
fury Of great anger, set to kicking them
Justify, and with no discrimination.
We had the other hands up by this
They got them below at the first break
Of dawn, and the dead they covered :;
while Paolo, who lay grooming, we carried
to cabin In the saloon, and did for his
broken head that which our elementary
knowledge of surgery permitted us.
As the day brought light upon the ris-
ing sea, looked to the far horizon, but
the rolling crests of an empty waste met
my gaze. Again we were alone. The
nights work had lost US the welcome
company.