her that drove her astern like an arrow, and now,
triumphantly, Dolores cried:

"An ax! Quickly--cut the hawser! Caliban, get a jib loosed! Hanglip,
open the companionway, and bring up my prisoners. I would have them
enjoy the sail."

A curling sea poured over the taffrail, sweeping Dolores from her feet;
she met it with a ringing laugh, gripping the wheel as her safeguard,
and the moment the ax severed the hawser she gave the vessel a sheer
with the helm, and again her orders rang out:

"Let go both boom-tackles! Hoist away the jib! Haul the jib-sheet to
starboard, and stand by fore and main sheets!"

Out of the darkness ahead came the fluttering of canvas, and soon
Caliban's hoarse croak rang aft: "Hoist away th' jib!" The great booms
swung amidships again when the tackles were cast off, and now the
headsail flew up the stay, the restrained sheet to starboard causing the
canvas to fill aback as had the greater sails before. The pressure was
ahead and to one side; the schooner's head began to fall off, then
faster as she gained momentum, and the fore and main sails again began
to thunder at their blocks.

"Let draw the jib! Bring in the fore sheet; bear a hand aft here, main
sheet, lads, smartly!" cried Dolores, twirling the wheel to meet the
vessel's swift leeward leap. And as the liberated Feu Follette heeled
dizzily to the gale, under full spread of sail, and her owner and his
guests appeared into the storm, Stumpy's cry rang out:

"There's the flare--and she's burnin' steady!"

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK. Don't forget this magazine is issued weekly,
and that you will get the continuation of this story without waiting a
month.

The Pirate Woman

by Captain Dingle

Author of "The Coolie Ship," "Steward of the Westward," etc.

This story began in the All-Story Weekly for November 2.

CHAPTER XIV.

YELLOW RUFE'S FINISH.

"How bears the flare?" Dolores demanded, steadying the helm.

"Three points on lee-bow!" came from aloft.

"Sing out when we point for it!" Dolores gave the wheel a few spokes,
and at her command the main-sheet was rendered until the schooner fell
off from the wind, and Stumpy hailed: "Steady! She heads fair for it!"

"Does it still burn?"

"Aye, blazing bright! And low down, too, for the seas hide it every
moment!"

"Keep thy eyes skinned, and seek for the sloop, too."

The schooner came to a more even keel as she squared away from the gale,
and the splen