Imperial Valley press., 1910-11-26

on the poop-deck, if he could contrive to keep her there.
 "Very we'll" he said, after some thought; "1 will let you stay on deck on condition that you give me your word of honor not to leave the poop. Indeed, shall want some one her2I 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 murmured prayer ere he released her
 Having thus discharged his paternal and religious duties, he loosened his cutlass from it's sheath, examined, by feeling the brace of pistols, and bade Susan do likewise.
 The noise of the approaching boats was nearer now, and quite audible, although the oars had been skillfully muffied and were handled cautiously by practiced hands, and no human sounds were made. The approach of such number of boats and men, however, could not longer be con- cealed.
 They'll give tongue in minute" said the old man to his daughter. Aye, there" he continued, as a sud den flash of light lanced the darkness. followed by the roar of a piece of boat artillery and the singing of shot useessly whirled across the deck.
 At her, lads! We'll take her out of hand" a sharp voice called out
 A burst of cheering rose from the water below. Straining 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 a thunderous discharge.
 Keep fast" roared Captain Hiram Who fired that gun?''
 'I did" answered a voice out of the obscurity.
 Damn you, Francois," cried Hub. bell. "I'll settle with you Tor this."
 Here they come,'' crieG another voice out of the darkness.
 Fire! Fire!" roared Captain Hiram.
 The four remaining guns and the long-tom roared an instant response, The battery was fired largely at ran dom, but the captain thought he de- tected a crash of timbers, and he was sure that mingled with the cheers and yells were shrieks of pain.
 Hold your small arm fire, boys" he cried. Give them the cold steel first if they try to board us. Stand by!"
 The next instant a boat crashed amidships against the Hiram and Su san Men stood up in the stern sheets
 
 of the crew had incautiously exposed himself and fell back with a bullet in his brain.
 Under cover of this discharge a dozen men from the fore sheets of the boat scrambled to the gangway; cut lasses upraised, they swarmed the side of the ship. At the same instant an ether boat hooked on beneath the fore chains and one touched the ship by the main chains. The marines in the stern-s sheets of the boats opened fire, 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 footing in the opening, and cutlasses clashed viciously. The 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-rai and held them there, fighting desperately.
 The attack in the fore chains was not quite so successful, for MT, Conant, on the forecastle, swung a lantern over the side, and by means of that light, which gave him. a fair view of the assailants, he and his men de- liberately picked off the men swarm ing into the chains. The boat, held to the ship by a boat hook, drifted aft till the man holding her alongside was shot, when it brought to, against the boat in the main chains.