The Third Officer

characteristic inquisitiveness that an Englishman often shows even in the most dangerous situations, had gone for'ard to investigate the result of the damage. Colonel Vivian, his daughter, and t

the bridge, where, between the gaping holes in the canvas of the bridge rails, could be seen prostrate writhing forms amidst the pungent eddying smoke. Graspi

ealt her cowardly blow, had deprived Mrs. Vivian of life. Never very strong, and suffering

t. Alwyn's instructions were imperative

ivian," he said; "we don't know

animate occupant. He was incapable of doing anyth

aising the burdened chair they carried it down the companion-way,

might be found from those powerful 4-inch shells. He could only hope that Providence would shield the gently-nurtured girl

ion ladder he stopped and

e cruiser is a pirate, her crew mostly Chinese.

ced peril and death many times, but never bef

he won't want them. Tell Miss Vivian to change into his clothes, cut her hair short, and disguise herse

had completed her turning manoeuvre and was steadying on h

er, by Jove!" he exclaimed. "

shouted a voice.

lwyn was quick to obey. He realized the result of a deadweight of

e Donibristle's engines were pulsating harder than ever they had done before, Bur

yne had the impression that he was looking at a cinematographic picture, as the light-grey hull of

ht, and braced himself

raft began to forge ahead. Rapidly gathering speed, she contrived to elude the merchantman's bluff bows by a matter of a few feet. It was close enough to enable some of the former's crew to hu

opponent would not occur. He could only attempt to seek safety in flight, and that, he

her assailant. In addition she was dead in the eye of the wind, and the smoke pouring from her funnels, and from the three separate conflagrations on deck, served to put up a screen b

deftly bound lint over the Old Man's forehead. "Clear out of this, Barnes. You fello

way of getting his orders carried out. Reluctantly they obeyed. They knew that the bridge would be the principal ob

r. Full of admiration for the grim, resolute figure of the wounded skipper, st

yne, like everyone who had seen the wireless cabin disappear with the explosion of the 4-inch shell, had taken it for granted that its occupant had been blown to pieces; but by one of those freaks of fate Mostyn had not only su

seconds and I'd have got the message through

it," said Alwyn. "They'll re

nded operator, but Mosty

ts frightfully. I'll carry on

s insensible and no longer capable of feeling pain, Burgoyne literally gathered him in his arms and carried him below. Before he had handed over hi

ble to remain in the comparative shelter afforded by the thin steel plates and bulkheads. There was no reason

nally across the riddled casings and a couple of boats that were slung inboard. Smoke pouring from the base of

the Donibristle's starboard quarter. She thus achieved a double purpose. She was no longer impeded by the smoke from her intended p

ick-firer of the starboard battery. A heavy object crashed upon the Donibristle's

k," he soliloquized. "By Jove!

gard of danger, seven or eight men were throwing articles into one of the quarter-b

"Time enough when you get the o

pt away like flies. Nor did the machine-gun cease until every boat in davits on the Donibristle's port side was riddled through and through. Splinters of wood flew in all directions.

ts of Angus and the engine-room staff to "keep their end up". Far below the water-line, working in semi-darkness owing to the fact that the hammering to which the boat had been sub

course. The straggling wake was evidence of that. Perhaps it was intentional on the Old Man's

ht amount of cover, Alwyn ran for'ard. Scrambling over mounds of debris and crawling under the w

ed. The edge of the bridge hid the skipper from his view. He retraced his steps for a few paces and looked again. There was the Old Man still grasping t

One arm hung helplessly by his side. The wh

d not noticed the skipper's predicament, but the Second had followe

lmost intact ladder, Burgoyne swarmed up one of the steel rails su

oked at him as

king to himself. "Women aboard and the dirty

y on, sir?" a

. Carry on, I've stopped some

ompass there was nothing definite to steer by. The Donibristle, like a sorely-stricken

ere. She had closed her distance, and was about two cables' lengths on the merchantman's starboard quarter. She had lowered the White Ensign, and now displayed a red flag with the skull and crossbones worked in black on the centre of the field. This much Alwyn saw, but what

h long-drawn-out moments of mental torture he waited for the lurid flash that meant

pon the Donibristle's bridge. There were machine-guns, too, served by yellow, brown, and white featured

domed top of the for'ard gun-shield, began to semaphore a message. He sent the words slo

as received

our lifs. Ifno tuues

air. Faint with loss of blood he could only just

sage was understood, and bent t

ship and save your lives; if not we

lbow. The pulse on his uninjured te

med vehemently. "I'll see them