The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-05-31
Copyright
Frank a Munsey
Company.


Then she turned Why, no; now u
seems 10 come from the other side. Call
tne men,, she urged, excitement begin
ming 70 tell upon her.
.;Patieuc0. returned her cool old faith
er. If IL is he boats they'll give iOuder
notice prese ntly, and wen have time.
Everything Is ready, and / don't want
| 20 waken tie men on what may De a
1T isn't a false alarm" persisted the
glrl sharply There! Didn't YOU hear
THAR"
Aye returned the captain, his ear
having caught heavier thump where
perhaps the muffing had slipped from
an oar 1t s to starbOard."
he walked over 10 starboard quickly.
put his hand behind his ear, and leaned
far out over the rail This time he
caught the faint sound more plainly.
IhaI II be 1t, he said, turning TO
susan. Its boats for certain"
can we beat them Off" asked the
/ girl, her pulse dancing
i don. know answered her father.
| II had some good Americans on the
decks, there, we might, bat with this
crowd OF half-breeds-
They are nearer. You can hear them
more plainly now" interrupted the girl
At that instant one Of the men in the
waist came running aft with soft, cat
IKE steps he stopped at the break OF
There's something moving out yon-
der, sir, boats. take it," ne said
| quietly.
= know Wake I'D the men. Tell
them not 10 make a sound, as thew
] value their lives They know what 10
DO Get them 10 the starboard battery,
but no firing tin 7 give. the word
| ing instantly about his task.
In a moment figures OF recunbent
men could be dtmly seen rising from the
decks and slipping noiseIessly TO their
stations in the gloom
1Fo.Ee
Susan.
What and tell them where we are.
and what TO shoot at. and how 20 get
ABOARD Nc. indeed" returned her
I didn't think Of that" said the girl.
NOW, 90 you stay here q moment. -
returned the veteran seaman. ''and IN
take look along the decks Can me II
you notice anything"
He ran rapidly down the ladder and
passed from gun 70 gun, seeing that all
was ready, and stopping a moment to
exchange a word or two with Mr.. Co
nant and the hubble Of men around the
iong-toin on the forecastle, and then
made his way aft 10 the poop, where
Susan had been neTvously watching. She
could DE- most things that man could
! 90, and many Of them better than most
men, but she had never been IN action
before, and something OF the woman
was uppermost.
Her father laid his hand upon her
My girl" he said. you had bet. er
60 below. There's going 20 be bloody
I work on these decks. and you viii be
safer Ia the cable tiers
II will never do it, Never cried
Susan i viii take my part here with
! the rest"
But
Father, don't make me
: II Was wrong, Of course. but there
was something In the girls plea that
/ touched the brave sailors heart, espe-
cidliy as he mad some doubts Of his
ability 10 keep his daughter down in
/ the cable tiers once he got her there.
After all, there would be little danger
! on the poop-decks II he could contrlve
! TO keep her there.
Very well, ne said, after some
thought; T viii let you stay on deck
f-on condition that YOU give me your
word OF honor not 10 leave the poop
Indeed. 1 shall have to be with the
men, and / shall want some one here
TO keep watch and give the alarm"
1 give you my WORD, said the girl,
manlike extending her hand.
Caresses were rare between these two,
but this time the old sailor drew her
, TO his breast, kissed her fOndly, patted
her on the shoulder gently. and muir
INJURED a prayer ere he released her.
Having thus discharged his Daternal
and religious duties, he loosened his
cUtlass from its sheath. examined, BY
feeling, the brace OF pistols, and bacs
The noise OF the approaching boats
was nearer now, and quite audible al
though the oars had been skillfully muir
fled and were handled cautiously oy
Uracticed hands. and no human sounds
were made The approach OF such a
number Of boats ard men, however,
co,;Id not longer be concealed.
They'll give tongue in a minute
said the old man TO his daughter, Aye,
there he continued as a sudden fiasn
OF light lanced the darkness, followed
by the. roar OF a piece Of boat artillery
and the singing OF shot useiessiy
whirled across the deck.
AT her. ladsi Wen take her out OF
hand" a sharp voice called out
A burst Of cheering rose from the
water below. Stratning eyes on the
Hiram and Susan fancied they couLd
make out the boats
Not a sound had been made by them,
however, but the stiffness was now
broken by thunderous, discharge,
Keep fast" TOared Captain Hiram
who fired that gum
I did, answered a voice out OF the
ssDamn you. Francoisr' cried Hub
bell III settle with you for this"
Here they come" cried another voice
:Ftre, FIRE." roared Captain Hiram.
The four remaining guns and the long
tom reared out an instant response Inc
battery was fired largely at RANDOM Out
the captain thought he detected crash
of timbers, and ne was sure that min
gIed with the cheers and yells were
shrieks Of pain.
Hold your small-arm fire, boys he
cried. "Give them the cold steel nrst
~ thew try 10 board US. Stand by!'
The next instant a boat crashed amid
ships against the Hiram and Susan
Men stood up IN the stern-sheets and
fred directly at the rail. One OF the
crew had incautiOusly exposed himself
and fen back with a bullet in his brain.
Under cover Of this discharge dozen
men from the fore-sheets OF the boat
scrambled TO the gangway; cutlasses
upraised, they swarmed the side or the
shin AT the same instant another boat
hooked on beneath the fore-chains and
one touched the ship by the main
chains The mariners in the Stern-SheetS
of the boats opened IRE, and the sailors
forward swarmed in the chains
The first Britisher who showed him
self through the gangway was shot
dead The next man gained a footing
in the opening, and cutlasses claShed
viciously T-he man IN the main-chains
scrambled over the side. but led by
Captain Hiram in person, the crew
threw themselves upon this group and
drove them back against the pin-rail
and held them there. fighting desper-
atclY.
The attack in the fore-chains was not
quite so successful, for Mr.. Conant. on
the fOrecastle, swung a lantern over the
side. and by means Of that light. which
gave him fair view Of the assailants,