The Third Officer

ass Branscombe hadn't put Miss Vivian with the deck-hands passes m

dened firemen could endure the discomforts, especially in latitudes approaching the tropics. He wondered whether Colonel Vivian would break the bonds

Hilda Vivian's presence on board promised to lead to endless difficulties and additional dangers before the prisoners were rescued. As these thoughts passed rapidly through his mind Burgoyne watched Miss Vivian from a distance. She no doubt clearly understood the pirate lieut

ep an eye on her. And there's less chance of the old Donibristle bein

sy distance of the American seaboard, except on rare occasions when events in the Philippines or Hawaii required their presence. As for merchant vessels, they kept rigidly to the recogniz

teamer track between 'Frisco and Yokohama, and still at some distance north-west of the converging track between 'Frisco and Honolulu. During the pu

imperiously to Alwyn to pu

emotion, although he felt like springing at the throat of t

them went Hilda, descending the almost vertical sl

r boats," orde

nd bullet-holed assortment of woodwork in the davits,

tenant shrugged

" he remarked callously. "If dey

uppose," thought Alwyn; then, without betraying

r. Those boats that can keep afloat will have to make two trips. T

out the order, Colonel Vivian tur

oard?" he asked hurriedly. "You see, my

"That is provided her secret is kept. I quite understand your

ask a favour of a rascally half-caste pirate, but the thought of having to abandon the body of his wife t

ll leave de ship. But I gif you fife mi

e should be disposed of at the same time, the corpse was swathed in a spare awning, lashed up, and weighted with a length of chain. The steward produced a Prayer Book and handed it to the temporary skipper. Burgoyne, noting that a ba

s it was as well that Miss Vivian did go below. Ther

. A signal had just been received from the Malfilio countermanding the previous order, and instructing

aused all hands to look skywards. Approaching the Malfilio at a high speed was a small seaplane. At first Burgoyne and many of his comrades thought that i

in touch with her prey. The fuselage was dumpy and the monoplane spare and small, and by the corrugations of the wings Burgoyne rightly concluded that they were of

re rope was deftly shackled to the eyebolt of a "gravity band" round the fuselage. Even as the machine rose from the water, dangling at the end of a wire rope,

-hands, including the Cockney who had been told to stand by the whistle lanyard, and who

bins at their disposal, the whole separated from the rest of the ship by a transverse bulkhead in which was a single sliding door. Outside this a sentry was posted, while, as an additional precaution, that for some reason was not taken in the case of the men, four villainous-looking Orientals, arm

thresh of the twin propellers. The S.S. Donibristle under her new masters was steaming a

hing, and a sheer hunger and fatigue all combined to suppress any desire for conversation. For some hours the silence was broken only by the moans of the wounded and the clank of the freshwater pump, as the parched men

intervals the guards were changed, and at about nine o'c

and Chinese Line in particular, in allowing ships to leave port in a defenceless condition. Tarrant promptly "shut him up", amidst a murmur of applause

n. "We've quite enough to put up with without having to liste

e," said Tarrant, "but so far

that, being pirates, they would emulate the Hun and do the 'spurlos versenkt' stunt. Piracy is a hanging matter, and h

as piracy nowadays," remarked the purser, "at

ar, I suppose, and the very audacity of it brings temporary-let us hope-success. This game can't last long. Once the world gets wind of it

they are taking

information to you, I can inform you that we've bee

n astonishment. "Here we are cooped up withou

compass, and I mean to stick to it as long as I jolly well

, his companions expressing no surprise at the sudden change of topic. It was not until

so tell you this; if we hold on our course sufficiently long, we'll fetc

mer," protested Tarrant. "There

ncoherent, interrupted the conclave. Captain Blair was recov

Three knots if you burst. The cowardly skunks-women on board,

rful lest he should divulge the fact to the pirate

e said soothingly. "We'v

d the skipper.

oyne,

, eh? Yes, the firing's stopp

een knocked about a bit, but Holmes and t

ptain Blair. "I told you to ca

an gave a long sigh, closed his ey

ting his compass, that the Donibristle had

nt appeared munching a biscuit. "They've a

rvice man. "That we make Japan if we ca

welcome the alteration," observed Tarrant. "But perhaps they're making

a few small islands-the Ocean Islands they're called. I've never been there, because they lie

nhab

shook h

serted. "It isn't much. But we'll

d door was unlocked, and Withe

kker?" he asked

ater, old son," replied Bransc

ly biting off chunks of the tough biscuit. "I've had my stand-easy, and they sent me aft

d Burgoyne "How are

the bulkhead door, resuming an interrupted game of cards. "And Miss Vivian is just splendid," he continued lowering his voice. "We rigged her up a sort of caboose under one of the

worry you much?"

room, which is a blessing; but they are continually calling for more revolutions. Pe

he reply, "but

slide-valves and stopping the engines, only Angus said that, if the Donibristle did break down, the cruiser would doubtless

" replie

perhaps I ought to say 'Mr. Burgoyne' now? Fact r

" exclaimed Alwyn. "Iodofo

e led Alwyn to a dark corner formed by the angle of one of the cabin bulkheads with the ship's side. There, seated on an upturned bucket, was Miles

hand over what's le

ng to surrender his s

I took the precaution to lay

ifficulty restr

ained from his early youth to manage men, he wa

e weighing nearly a pound. The wretched fellow, taking advantage of the fact that during

sang out the

rser a

hip's stores, is it no

nal information that the chocolate was stamped with the company

nce. Take charge of the stuff and issue it out in equal shares to everyone a

ts, but with small cubes of chocolate. Spontaneously, and almost without exception, every