, 1926-05-05

m uttered the Irishman dolefully.
"Treachery and scheming and murder
ing, y its a fine night for such
oh, blessed saints, whereT we be this
time the morrow"
safe, beyond question" I sought to
encourage him as | drew on my
breaches. "'Tis never the Walrus'
scaly crew will overcome us"
BE not too sure, Master Ormerod,"
he retorted with unusual ]vehemence.
- an thinking there is the curse Of
high Heaven on this venture and all
connected with It,"
Nevertheless he buckled on his
sword and accompanied us to the deck
when we were dressed. Men were
%scurrying silently to and fro, and from
an open hatch came the whine of
tackle as a piece was shifted on the
gundeck. Aloft, squads of tOpmen
we're unfurling shreds Of canvas to
give the James steeraGe way at need.
on the poop my grent-uncle was issu-
ing his final orders to Martin, Saun-
ders ana Coupeau.
"You, Saunders" he said, will
stand by the auchor-cahle with a
broad-ay and upon my giving the word
hew II asunder. Your position. Mar
tin, will be In the waist. Keep men
on the fore and main yards. ready to
make sail when the cable is cut. Cou-
| peau. Of you I expect 6n initial proad-
side of crushing effect and a second
fire II circumstances permit. Now to
your stations, and above all things
instruct your men to preserve silence.
The man who makes a noise I will
blow from a gun forthwith, and let
that be my declaration to Flint :"
The officers gave their acknowledge
ments and fitted away. Simultaneous
ly Peter pointed mp the inlet.
"SeeH he exclaimed,
The Walrus' ridinc-llght winked ont.
An Interval Of minutes, and one of
the wulstlights followed 1t. Another
interval, and she disappeared com
pletcly in the black NAV Of the night.
Ny Creat-uncle sneezed delicately.
in the dark one is clumsy" he oh
served. 81 fear | have abused my
nose with an overheavy dose Of Rip
Rap. Well, welIl Perhaps there is
a parable in the Incident for such
clever fellows as Captain Flint.
81 must 9sk You not to move about.
gentlemen. We have the better part
Of a glass TO wait for the ebb, but
caution is onr wotohword 20
We heard the Walrus before Ne had
sight Of her-the Stating Of a head
sail. a rafting block, a vague creak
Of cordage. Then an impression Of IA
mighty shadow, a towering ~spidorweb
Of spars and lacy rigging, stealing
ghostlike from the enshroudlng dark.
She noated nearer. Nearer still.
And nearer. 1t seemed that the two
vessels must collide, and the
became ~unbearable. I wondered NJ
nay g~reut-uncle's restraint. Would he
never | gasped with relief as his
cool, even one Glove the silence.
'Touch or. C%oupeau."
Crash The deck lcaped underfoot
the anchored hull surged forward. A
red sheet of flame girdled the James
side. and in the lnstant's glare the
Walrus was revealed In stark detan
against a setting Of glltterlng. black
water and low, forested shores. !
saw a man in her foretop, aimlessly
balancing a grenade. | saw men star.
ing curiously from the gunports as
oGe hR22sids tsgG,lesl l..:G S,r,a.
had n glimpse Of the brutal face Of
Bones, peering over the bulwarks, a
cutluss in his teeth.
The darkness returned, and a muI
tltude Of echoes dlnned back and
forth across the inlet. There was a
rending and cracking Of tlmbers. with
such scream ms | never hope to hear
again, the scream Of wicked men
VIM iuce an unexpected death. oath
and blasphemy and plteous appeals.
all blended into one terrible. heart
searching whole.
My ~great-uncle's level voice doml-
mated the confusion as easily as II
had the silence.
"Cot Your cable. Snundersi 2"
Fllnt's below answered ffSso the
Walrus.
give It TO EN-, ye cowardly swgbs
Stand 10 your gunsw
The red tongues VI the Walrus' guns
licked out at us the staggering ronr
Of their discharglng smote the night
The fabric OF the Royal james quiv-
cred and shook ms the iron hail lnshed
into her. a moaning and screeching
rose from whist. fo'csle and gundeck
"Oh, GOdl"
"My legl My legi"
They're Quit My CUTS are a-run-
min outif
where's my armi oh, God.
where's my nrm1"
But a third time my great-uncle
mustered the uproar.
"Mnke sail. Martin I"
Coupenu had reloaded his guns. and
the james fired n second broadslde
with the same crushing unanlmity as
before. The Walrus receied ms II our
d. A ~ a. ~