The Third Officer

good

d erect and prepared to semaphore a reply of defiance,

ebly, "we've put up a good fight. No one can deny that. An

he muttered a few i

rength, "so it doesn't much matter to me. There are the oth

aye,

they don't keep their word (now make sure you understand) tell Angus to

to keep faith in the matter of quarter, then the Donibristle-the prize they so gre

r," semaphor

istle had not thrown up the sponge without a gallant resistance dearly paid for in human lives. It r

Burgoyne shouted out the

h looking like butchers after tending the wounded; Heatherington, the junior wireless operator; and fifteen of the deck-hands, several of whom bore visible signs of the gruelling they had undergone. In addition were Withers and Nuttall and seventeen fireme

e boat-deck, unaware of the trend of events,

below. Captain Blair was unconscious. Wounded in half a dozen places, he had carried on until the ship was no

ed men. "There was no help for it. The cruise

s burst from the throats of the ruffian crew. They did not know how to cheer; they could

te cruiser was shouting himself hoarse in an endeavour to obtain silence. When compara

ed. "Obtain way off ze ship

!" replie

m speed, which by this time was a bare five knots; while the pirate c

he engine-room telegraph was no longer wor

gus," h

hat worthy's rolling voice "

promoted Third. "The skipper's hit. We'r

gineer with more alacrity

e our lives, but you never know. So if you hear one blast on the

e," repl

le before she stopped. Her head fell off as she rolled gently in the trough of the long crestl

with the purser and the steward to attend him. The rest of the engine-room staff, with the exception of Angus, were mustered on deck. Calling

about it. Now keep a sharp look-out. At the first sign tug that whistle lanyard

dder, Tarrant and the Fourth Officer assisting Colonel Vivian, and Miles furtively following. But to his keen disappointment and a

iously. A suspicion of a smile showed

ained. "There she is; three from t

yne g

it," he exclaimed. "Don't you see, she'll

n with the few of us who are left. Her father agreed with me. 'Si

unlikely, someone "gave her away" the pirates would never recognize the slender fireman with closely-cropped hair and begrimed features, and rigged out in an ill-fitting greasy sui

he muzzle between the inside of his boot and his ankle. For the first time he felt grateful to the steward for having spilt ink over both pairs of deck

swarthy, black-bearded individual wearing a cocked hat, a blue tunic, with a lavish display of gold lace, a black and crimson scarf round his waist, and a pa

hoes, negroes, bare to the waist, Creoles and half-breeds from various South American states, a couple of South Sea Island Kanakas, and a gigantic Malay armed with a kriss and a magazine rifle.

d forward in the most app

t-ob cruiser Malfilio," he announced. "Se?or Ramon P

able to prono

"If you no give trouble den

With no immediate danger in prospect, provided the pirate kept his word, they were content to let events shape themselves, confident that in the lon

iques, addressing Burgoyne. "

replied Alw

caste lieutenant. "Capitano Ramon Porfirio him

e are several wounded below. Also the

lance of suspicion a

he demande

turned his

" he replied. "It might be awkward

nce in the engine-room, but he had, perhaps unknowingly, shown a certain amount of anxiety for the safety of the ship. Consequently any suspicion on th

ied with the explanation. "Now, w

age of the chart-house. "Your fire was so accura

er, and had dropped them overboard almost directly the Malfilio had hoisted t

ure of the cargo? The amount of coal in the bunk

was anxious not to cause trouble and give the pi

last question. "One, a lady, lies de

shoulders. That information

"to give up all arms an knifes. If we

arms they did not possess, but of the officers, Withers and Branscombe each gave up an a

declared Henriques, smiling sar

ime the message was completed and acknowledged, the pirate lieutenant had either forgotten his inten

ostentatiously whetted the already keen edges of his kriss. Noting the act, Burgoyne registered a vow that, should the pirates com

attired Henriques returned

he ordered. "Ebbery one of de firemans. De odders dey v