Arizona republican., 1914-11-22

voice cried out with an accent of high exultatIon Before either Alan the girl could disengage, the decks rang loud with rush of booted feet pounding aft
 The figures of the boarding party were already taking shape through the fog as Alan sprang toward the companionway to fetch the rife And ln this action, his feet slipped blanks greasy "lth moisture deposited by the surcharged atmos phere He went down with stunning thump, and al instant later two men fell bodily upon him acuve strong fellows in the dress of fishermen He was suffered to rise only prisoner helpless In the grasp of two pair of powerful hands,
 He saw Barcus, rudey reused and still dumb With sleepy confusion, in no better case-jerked to his feet and held captive by two more fisher men. A fifth had taken charge of Rose, clamping her wrists in the wise of one big hand
 The sixth and sole other member of the board ing party, likewise in the roughandready garb of fisherman, Judith Trine
 Down the side a heavy lifeboat ground it's way astern, the loose end of its painter slipping over the rail even as Alan caught sight of it. (So it seemed Barcus had guessed shrewdlyD
 Observing this of the men in charge of Alan made as if to leave him to the other, ad. dressing Judith for permission to prevent the loss or the life-boat. She stopped him with peremp- tory gesture.
 "No-let it go. We're better of without 1t Hold that man fast till fetch rope We'll mako sure Of them both, thds time!"
 Straining forward in the grasp of her guard hose 1mplored her sister: Judith in pity's mama think what you are doing!"
 Hold your tongue!" Judith snapped viciously. Another whimper cut of you, and I'll have you gagged"
 The balance of her threat, though accompanied by the exhibition of an automatic pistoI was drowned out by the sudden roar of steamship 1og-slgnal, so close aboard that it seemed almost to emanate from the forepart of the schooner her. self
 As 1t was answered by shrl and hoarse cries. of terror and of warning from dozen throats Alan found himself released, his captors leaping for their lives to the tafrail
 lie caught an instantaneous glimpse of the knife like bow of great steamer towering above the two-master-sweeping toward it at speed which raised smart jet of white under the cutwater
 Someone aboard the schooner with the voice of stentor, beloved terrified appeal:
 "Stop your engines! Shut of your propelior! Stop your"
 Then, like the wrath of God the steamship over whelmed the lesser ship: its bow seemed to slice through the schooner knife through cheese And the two halves fairly driven under water by the frightful force of the blow
 Thunders deafening him, Alan was hurled bodily through the air fully twenty feet
 When he came up he struck out at random bndly tormented by the vision of Rose caught in the suck of that gigantic wheel, drawn under crushed and mangled by the propeller of the vast black hulk whose flank sliding past like the face of cliff, ten yards behind his shoulders
 Aware of several dark objects dottng the face within radius of several yards, he swan for the nearest the head womans the face turned toward him the face of Rose.
 He gasped wildly: "Keep cool! Don't struggle! Put hand my shoulder and"
 What happened then was never quite clear to him: he only knew that he was forced to fight for his very life-that the woman, soon as he came within reach flung herself upon him like some maddened animal clutchng his throat wind ing her limbs round his, dragging him down and down.
 Primitive instinct alone saved him. He remem- bered later most vaguely the continuation of that duel beneath the waters-remembered freeing an arm, drawing it back delivering blow from his shoulder. with all his strength, finding himself , free, struggling back to the air
 Then a boathook caught the back of his shirt and dragged him for some distance until two strong hands caught him beneath the armpits and held his head above the water. y~s
 He looked up witlessy into the face of Barcus and still bewildered struggled feebly.
 The others voice brought him back to his senses: Easy old top Take 1t easy! You're all right now-rest minute then help me get you aboard
 He obeyed, controlling his panic as best he might; and presently, with considerable assistance from Barcus contrived to scramble in over the gunwales of a boat which proved to be the stolen nfeboat.
 Aside from Barcus and himself it held one other person only-the woman he loved, crumpled up and unconscious in the bow.
 He strove to rise and go to her. to make sure that still she lived Barcus restrained and uuieted him.
 There, Easy, I say She's all rght-fainted that's all! She and took the water in prac tically the same spot, and luck threw this blessed boat my way within half a dozen strokes No trouble at all-in a manner of speaking."
 But the steamer" 44 ez
 "Why fret about her? At the pace she was making she couldn't have stopped within half a mile. We'll be all right now-with power to fetch us to land"
 But the others-Judith!" Alan sat up and leaned over the gunwalae, searching an oily leaden expanse spotted only with few splinters and bits of wreckage. q left her out there-un- conscious-shen Il drown, tell you."
 And I'll tell you something" said Mir Barcus severely. You'll lie quiet and shut up I'll dent your dome with the shaft of an oar. Let her drown-and a good job, I say! Don't you know the meaning of enough? Merciful heavens man. you're the most unsuitable gutton for punishment ever!"