The Mena weekly star., 1911-03-16

any possible chance | would take Il.
but there is none--none In the world.
not unless We could fly through the
air"
II was only an hour since they haa
ascertained, beyond the shadow OF a
doubt, that Jeanne was not aboard the
Aurora. Until Tom had recovered
consciousness. the others had enter
tanned little doubt that she was safely
hidden somewhere about the ship.
Cayley's warning, together with The
confession OF the Portuguese. Miguel.
had caused them to steal alongside
the Aurora as silently as possible. No.
a word had been spoken by any of the
party, and the sound of the rising
wind had drowned the creak of their
oars. Half a dozen well-armed men
reconnoiter
Making out the unfamiliar figures
of TIA Walrus people on deck. and
knowing that they had fight on their
hands they had worked their way. un
observed, to a position amidshlps
Here. under cover OF brisk revolver
fire. they had made it possible for the
rest of their party to get aboard.
The Wairus people. several of whom
were below came tumbling up on
deck at the sound of firing, and their
whole party entrenched itself in the
after-deek house. They had found
arms of various sorts aboard the Au-
rora, and made spirited resistance
before they were finally overpowered
The Aurora's people, under the cool
headed command of Warner and the
elder Fanshaw, had proceeded in
brisk. scientific, military style that
had spared them many serious casual
ties. There were a number Of flesh
wounds when II was over, and one or
two of a more serious nature. None
of them had been killed.
The Walrus people, however had
not surrendered until their plight was
wholly desperate. Only five of them
we're left alive. and two OF these we're
mortally wounded when the struggle
ceased
The uninjured were heavily ironed
and locked up In the stcerage All
the wounded-friends and foes alike
were turned over to the care of the
yachts surgeon and couple of volun-
teer assistants from among the crew
Altogether, 1t was two or three hourg
after the Aurora's people had regained
undisputed possession of the yacht be
fore II was possible to form any def.
mite idea of what had happened In
the excitement and the necessity OF
everybody doing two or three things
at once, Tom Fanshaw and his serious
plight we're not discovered, until he
himself, having partly regained con-
seriousness, uttered low moan for
help which was heard by a chance
passerby
The gale, which had been raging all
this while. had gone screaming by
cnheeded, and II was not until dawn
that the Mortified conqnerors of the
yacht discovered that there was no
land in sight.
1t was several hours after that. not
indeed. until the captain had worked
out their reckoning from an observa-
ton, before they realized that they
were 100 miles away from their
anchorage of the previous evening.
snd that their return was hopeless.
Old Mr.. Fanshaw gave his arm TO
his son. helped him down from the
bridge and thence to the now deserted
smoking room, forward Tom sub
mitted TO be led blindly along, and did
not demur when his father halted be-
side big leather sofa and told him
to lie down upon IT, Since that mo-
mentary outburst of his upon the
bridge. the young man had been un.
naturally calm His muscles, as he
lay there now upon the sofa. seemed
relaxed; his eyes were fixed, almost
duh
Through long silence his father
sat there watching him. but there was
no dawn OF corresponding calmness
in his face II had aged whole years
over night
It's strange to me-" he said. that
we ever recovered possession of this
yacht at all, let alone that we were
able TO recover It without II costing
us the life of single man. This gang
must have had leader. and a clever
one. They way he unanswered his
men TO keep them out OF sight while
he drew away first one party and then
the other from the yacht was a piece
of mastery strategy. He worked 1t
out perfectly In every detail He got
possession of the yacht without losing
q man. without even firing shot that
might give the alarm And even with
the warning we had and with the
help Of the fog. don't see how we
defeated man like that His success
must have gone to his head and made
him mad"
He was probably killed in the first
voIley our people fred when they got
aboard" said Tom duly He alone
could have accounted for half dozen
of you. If he'd ever had chance
giant like that"
"A giant"
Il think he must have been the
leader" said Tom. He was the first
man to come aboard, certainly
but what makes you call him q
giant"
"Recause he literally was. He
struck me down with just one blow,
and as he raised his arm to strike
saw that his shoulder-cap was above