The Devil's Admiral

the companionway and fingered the shell crucifix, wondering how near Meeker had come to making an end of me. Of course, the finding of the crucifix down there, and

had taken my position at the keyhole of the storeroom, but if I was inclined to make theories

roar of the sea, the throb of the engines, and the thumping of my own heart prevented me from making any sense of the tumult above.

no matter which side won above, whether Meeker was taken, or Riggs and Harris killed, I would be regarded as an enemy by the victors. The best th

an on board. Before I could say a word I might be seized and ironed, if not shot on sight. Perhaps the wiser course would be to get to

ve me I could hear Riggs and Harris yelling to one another, although I could not make out what they were saying. I heard Harris say s

ee steps I was halted by a terrific noise between decks in the direction of the storeroom. Several heavy blows were struck in rapid succession against a

ld attract the attention of Riggs and Harris, and that they would be down to investigate. I w

s from the end of the p

n his fretful

down, ye beggar! It's my bleed

, can I, 'thout givin' ye a twist, ye fool! There it is now-right aft and on deck, Red, and follow me

the boarding to be clear of the ladder, and made out the figure of a man, crouched down and feeling his way along the passage. He stumbled

cky, wait for me! Stop a b

d tones. "Keep yer lip shut, the afterguards are on deck here and I don't know where Thirkle is. S

e chains dangling from his wrists, and before I had settled in my mind what had happened th

ed it improvised it into a hilted dagger, although I remember keeping it more for evidence against Meeker than for any other purpose. If the sly ra

nd slippery. The vessel was labouring, and, although there was nothing that could be called a storm, she was bucking into head-swells tha

the ladder leading to the saloon-deck, and, then, I had the dark passageway

ned for some hostile sound. I was conscious of dim forms all about me, although I coul

and the next instant I found myself gripped in a pair of arms. The fingers of my enemy shut on the light fabric of my pajama-jacket

n my flight I bumped into ventilators, stumbled over a hatch-coaming and pulled myself along the swaying rail-chains toward the bow of the vessel. In the scuffle I had lost the crucifix, but I had also escaped from

eep open some means of retreat. I halted at the closed scuttle of the forecastle, for from there I could have my choice of getting aft again

he companionway forward of the superstructure. I could make out the bridge and the funnel well enough to see a figure moving

ck on the bridge, and I knew it was midnight. I expected that there would be some answer from the bows, as there should be a man on look

might give who had been stricken suddenly with death. It chilled my blood, for I knew that another blow had been struck which t

Dutchman has been killed! Ho, cap'n-the

-deck, and I heard him clamber up the ladder and knew it must h

What in God's name is t

rd me?" He was moun

ted Harris. "They done for him

Mr. Harris," s

at it is," shouted Harr

below. "I come up to ta

he port ladder bleedin'

engers, that's what i

reak of the bridge-rail at the ladder-head, and I saw Harris movi

d I saw a lancelike tongue of fire, outside the halo of light cast up from the lantern, followed by the r

to the lower deck, carrying with him a portion of the storm-apron, which vo

now," and he led the captain down the bridge-ladder, Riggs still carry

o be that of Long Jim. "W'ere be ye, I s'y! Ye missed 'im, ye fool.

aim, falling against the lashings as ye did, so the blasted thing carried away with me and like

d foot in a lashin'-rotten sailcloth, that, Bucky. Make a stand

," said Buckrow. "Come o

ed. We'll get

d them were Captain Riggs, still with his lantern,

p'n, or they'll wing us sure. Cuss it all, cap'n, they'll blow

iggs, who seemed to be

rr

nin' in yer eyes! Throw it away,

led it into the sea, and, as the briny spume closed o

Long Jim, who was within a dozen paces of me. "Give '

m, and let 'em go for now. Quick, or the mate'll have ye. Thirkle said he'd have the f

'as this in 'is r

it, Jim, I tell ye," and Buckrow rose up out of the dark within reach of

as not in league with them. This impulse to aid the captain's side of the fight came to me swiftly, and I put it into action at once by jumping directly in Long Jim's path at the h

ld have undoubtedly shot me and Long Jim, too, and with good reason, for he would h

I thrust my body against the opening. His shoulder caught me in the stomach, and my head and feet flew out and we

sped Long Jim, recovering himself and stumbling over

ch and Judy show of yerself? Ye come down like a lubberly fa

ht ye wa

clear of ye and

m'll be down on us. That mate is a bad un, I tell ye, Bucky-bad as the nigge

"We're working now. Mind what yer abo

ked Long Jim. "W'e

a minute. Fire up before they have a chance to drop on you, and stand clear, with

le. "All hands on deck and look lively, or

e gets well down," whispered the man who had

chman! All hands up and one at a time, or I'l

word," caut

under the bunk at the very feet of Buckrow, dazed and bruised from my fall, yet keenly aware of

fear which kept me an auditor when I might well have been an actor to good purpose. I desired to see what would be the end of the act, and, far from being terro

down thar, Buckrow, along with Jim and the red chap, and I know yer game. If I have to go down I'll kil

of here. Give him lip, Buckrow, so he'll come down, or he'll

t of me?" ca

, ye murderin' hound," s

h, and if ye don't come

swing w

uckrow. "Ye want to blame it o

ed him and then took a

ave the life of ye

Petrak done for the Dutchman, sir. I ain't no murderer, sir, Mr

t," said Harris, who seemed to think that

e down, ye big bucko. I know the likes o

n't stand for no such business aboard me," cried Capt

say. "I'll go down and break this myself. This a

d Thirkle. "Give it to him hard or the old

if ye can. That's what I say to ye. It's me, Buckrow, foremas

and we heard him enter the scuttle, whil

he murdering dogs stay there. We'll

y I'll break that spaw

rris. I can't, I say. Where will I have officers

ye don't leggo my arm I can't say what I'll

ow what it means! Ye kn

and what they want! M

then a second flash on the other side of the forecastle showed me the face of the Rev. Luther Meeker at the entrance to the forecastle behind a pistol which

ole and sprawled on the planks near me,

I knew it was Harris wounded to death. In a minute he wa

e hurt, Mr. Harri

d Buckrow. "That settles Mr. Mat

ob, Bucky, and smart as could be the way you drew

tle. "Good Lord! ain't I to have no officers? What's to become

ris's. It was Meeker, or Thirkle, as his men called him,

ied Riggs hopefully. "

rr

ined voice like a man in pain. "I done for Buckrow, but I hurt my

Jennie Lee?" demanded

ll come down,

nks and the nigger go until morning. We'll take the bridge and keep the old tub going until day and then pick out a good place to drop her when we've got what we want. Petrak's got the wheel now, and we

em sneaked up t