Arizona state miner., 1926-06-05

| ing, aye it's a fine night for such J!
Oh, blessed saints, wherell we be this
time the morrow?
"Safe, beyond question:" 1 sought to
encourage him as 1 drew on my
breeches. "'Tis never the Walrus'
scaly crew will overcome u.s."
"Be not too sure, Master OrmerOd," :"
he retorted with unusual vehemence.
81 am 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
were unfurling shreds Of canvas to
give the James steerage way at need.
On the poop my great-uncle was issu-
ing his final orders to Martin, Saun-
ders and Coupeau.
"You, Saunders" he said, "will
stand by the anchor-cable with a
broad-ax and upon my giving the word
hew it 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 an initial broad
side of crushing effect and a second
fire if 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 up the inlet.
"See!" he exclaimed.
The Walrus riding-light winked out
An interval Of minutes, and one of
the waist-lights followed it. Another
interval, and she disappeared COM
pletely in the black nav Of the night.
My great-uncle sneezed delicately.
"In the dark one is clumsy" he OBJ
served 'T fear I have abused my
nose with an overheavy dose of Rip
Rap. Well, we'll Perhaps there is
parable in the incident for such
clever fellows as Captain Flint.
81 must ask you not to move about,
gentlemen. We have the better part
of a glass to wait for the ebb, but
caution is our watchword"
We heard the Walrus before we had
sight of her-the Stating of head
sail, a rattling block, vague creak
| % ThOn innnrncCiOyo nf
mighty shadow, a towering spiderweb
of spars and lacy rigging, stealing
ghostlike from the enshrouding dark.
She fioated nearer. Nearer still
And nearer. 1t seemed that the two
vessels must collide, and the suspense
became unbearable. I wondered at
my great-uncle's restraint. Would he
never I gasped with relief as his
cool, even tones Glove the silence
"Touch off, Coupeau."
Crash! The deck leaped underfoot :
the anchored hull surged forward. A
red sheet of flame girdled the James
side, and in the instant's glare the
Walrus was revealed in stark detail
against a setting Of glittering, black
water and low, forested shores.
saw a man in her foretop, aimlessly
balancing a grenade. I saw men star
ing curiously from the gunports as
our broadside smashed into them. I
had a glimpse of the brutal face of
Bones, peering over the bulwarks, q
cutlass in his teeth
The darkness returned, and a null
titude of echoes dinned back and
forth across the inlet. There was a
rending and cracking of timbers, with
such screams as l never hope to hear
again, the screams Of wicked men
who face an unexpected death, oath
and blasphemy and piteous appeals,
all blended into one terrible, heart
searching whole
My great-uncle's level voice domi-
mated the confusion as easily as it
had the silence.
"Cut your cable, Saunders !"
Flint's below answered from the
Walrus
"Give it to 'em, ye cowardly swabs !
Stand to your guns"
The red tongues of the Walrus' guns
licked out at us; the staggering roar
of their discharging smote the night.
The fabric of the Royal James quiv-
cred and shook as the iron hail lashed
into her. A moaning and screeching
rose from waist, fo'csle and gundeck ::
"Oh, God!"
"My leg! My legw
They're out! My CUTS are a-run-
min QUIT"
where's my arm? Oh, God,
where's my arm?'
But a third time my great-uncle
mastered the uproar.
MAKE sail, Martin -
Coupeau had reloaded his guns, and
the James fred a second broadside
with the same crushing unanimity as
before. The Walrus receded as if our
fire had had the effect of physically
repelling her from us. Clouds of
smoke came between the ships, and
| I perceived that we were bpnofitinp