The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-03-09

at full speed, firing their stern bat
teries almost continuously.
There could be but one explanation.
They were being pursued by another
hostile fleet. Well, the situation could
be no worse. The expedition already
was doomed.
No man that had embarked upon it
would return across that dreary ice
cap. How I wished that I might face
Eat Arras with my long sword for just
an instant before I died! It was he
who had caused our failure
As I watched the oncoEing ten I
saw their .pursuers race swiftly into
sight. 1t was another great feet. For
a moment could not believe my eyes,
but finally 1 was forced to admit that
the most fatal calamity had overtaken
the expedition, for the fleet saw was
none other than the feet of the Black
Pirates that should have been so safe
~ bottled up in Omean.
What q series Of misfortuncs and
disasters! What awful fate lowered
terribly thwarted at every angle Of
my search for my lost love! Could it
be possible that the curse Of Issus was
upon me; that there was, indeed, some
cass?
I would not believe it, and, throwing
back my shoulders, l ran to the deck
below to join my men in repelling
boarders from one OF the thern craft
that had grappled US broadside. In
my old hopefulncss returned, and as
them after them went down beneath
my blade I could almost feel that we
should win success in the end even
from apparent failure.
My presence among the men SO
greatly inspirited them that they fell
upon the luckless whites with such
we had turned the tables upon them,
and a second L er as we swarmed
their own decks had the satisfaction
Of seeing their commander take the
long leap from the bows of his vessel
In token of surrender and defeat.
Then Joined Kantos Kan. He had
been watching what had taken place
on the deck below, and it seemed to
have given him a new thought. Imme-
diately he passed an order to one Of
his officers, and presently the colors
of the Prince Of Helium broke from
every point Of the flagship.
A great cheer arose from the men
Of our own ship, cheer that was TAX
en- up by every other vessel of our ex-
petition as they in turn broke my
colors from their upper works.
Then Kantos Kan sprang his coup.
A signal legible to every sailor of all
the fleets engaged in that fierce strug
gle was strung aloft upon the flagship.
MEN Of Helium for the Prince Of
Helium against all his enemies" it
read.
Presently my colors broke from one
Of Eat Arras' ships; then from another
and another. On some we could see
fierce battles waging between the 70
dangan> soldiery and the Heliumetic
crews, but eventually the colors of the
Prince Of Helium foated above every
ship that had followed Eat Arras upon
our trail. Only his flagship flew them
not.
Eat Arras had brought 5000 ships.
The sky was black with the three enor-
nous fleets. 1t was Helium against
the field now, and the fight had set
tied to countless individual duels.
There could be little or no maneuver-
ing Of fleets in that crowded, fire split
sky.
Eat Arras' flagship was close to my
own. I could see the thin features OF
the man from where l stood.
His Zodangan crew was pouring
broadside after broadside into us, and
we were returning their fire with equal
ferocity. Closer and closer came the
two vessels until but few yards in
tervened. Grapplers and boarders lined
the contiguous rails Of each. We were
preparing for the death struggle with
our hated enemy.
There was but q yard between the
two mighty ships as the first graphing
irons were hurled l rushed to the
deck to be with my men as they board
ed. Just as the vessels came together
with q slight shock / forced my way
through the lines AMI was the first to
spring to the deck OF Eat Arras' ship.
After me poured q yelling, cheering,
cursing throng of Helium's best Sght-
ing men. Nothing could withstand
them LII the fever of battle lust which
enthralled them.
Down went the Zodangans before
that surging tide of war, and as my
men cleared the lower decks l sprang
to the forward deck where stood Eat
Arras.
"You are my prisoner, Eat Arras!"
cried. Yield and you shall have
quarter"
For a moment could not tell wheth-
er he contemplated acceding to my de-
mand Or facing me with drawn sword.
For an instant he stood hesitating, and
then, throwing down his arms, he turn
ed and rushed to the opposite side OF
the deck. Before I could overtake him
he had sprung to the rail and hurled
himself headforemost into the awful
depths below.