the water from the beach,
the sharp outline of a fishing-boat. Then he heard a low exclamation
from the girl.

"He's laid around my string," she gritted, and again the glasses flashed
to her eyes. She whirled on the fisherman. "Look at that, Tom! He's
stripping my nets. I've got him with the goods this time and, so help me
God, I'm going to make him pay. Don't shoot," she cautioned Gregory.
"Wait till we get closer. I want to get him with the deadwood. Wide
open, Tom, we'll run him off his legs. I'll----"

A puff of white smoke drifted upward from the deck of the launch ahead
and floated lazily above the rigging. Some fifty feet beyond the port
bow of the _Petrel_ the water leaped upward in a tiny spout. Dickie's
rifle sounded in Gregory's ear and the report of his own prolonged the
echoes. As he pumped in another cartridge he noted that the girl's eyes
were shining and her red lips were parted in a smile. Between shots he
heard her mutter:

"Can you beat that? The dirty robbers are going to stay and fight?"

CHAPTER VI

THE LAW OF THE FISHERMEN

Her decks spouting flame, the _Petrel_ raced on to meet the enemy.
Gregory crowded close to the rail and dropped to his knee. The girl was
right about the roll. He shoved the rifle through a cross-stay, sighted
carefully and pulled the trigger.

"I have the system now," he called.

She nodded. "That's the stuff. Aim for the engine-house. They're
shooting from the ports."

[Illustration: "Aim for the engine-house!"]

The bullets from the alien craft were flying wide. The fusillade from
the _Petrel_ was evidently interfering with the enemy's marksmanship.

"No expert riflemen there," Gregory commented.

Dickie shook her head. "A knife's their long suit," she answered. "I
never saw them shoot much before. Don't believe they----"

A jingle of breaking glass interrupted her and the starboard side-lamp
toppled from the bracket and crashed to the deck.

"Get down," Gregory commanded. "They're getting the range."

The girl smiled and wiped away the blood which spurted from a small cut
in her cheek. "Just fool luck," she answered, leaning coolly against
the stays and reloading her rifle. "That was only an accident."

Gregory was by her side in an instant. Grasping her roughly by the arm
he said harshly: "Get down, I tell you."

She jerked away her arm and started to speak. Then she dropped to the
deck.

"Maybe you're right at that," she admitted, a smile