I
know you don't intend to quit now.

"Here is what I'll say: 'Captain Riggs wishes it understood that, after
setting this message adrift, he and Trenholm and Rajah determined to die
fighting rather than go to their doom at the pleasure of Thirkle and his
men. As this is launched upon the waters of the China Sea, the whole
story is not told, and we are confident that the Devil's Admiral and some
of his men will yet die.'"

"Oh, that sounds like a boy, Mr. Trenholm--you better leave it out."

"No, sir. This is my story, and you will please sign it now for what it
is worth."

"It isn't the truth," he demurred.

"But it is," I said; and he signed it, and I knew that he was taking new
hope.

He unscrewed one of the ports to leeward, and, although we let much water
into the forecastle, he threw the bottle out at an opportune moment,
and then slammed the port shut again.

"Mr. Trenholm," he said, as he climbed down from the top bunk,
dripping and smiling, "I guess you were right about what you wrote there
last--I calculate that there's a bit of a fight left in Captain Riggs
yet, although I don't for the life of me see what chance I've got of
fighting anybody. But, if you're ready to try, I'm ready to see what can
be done."

"I knew it, captain!" I cried, taking his hand, "If you'll do the
planning I'll do the work, and we'll beat them yet."

CHAPTER XII

THE BATTLE ON THE BRIDGE

Now, it was all very well for Captain Riggs and me to sit down there in
the forecastle of the _Kut Sang_ and consider ways and means of saving
ourselves and the steamer from the Devil's Admiral; but, although we made
many plans, we had to drop them all. There was no way out of the place
except through the scuttle, and we worked at that and schemed about it;
but the wooden frame was bound inside with steel ribs, and on the outside
with chains, and we had no tools equal to the task. Nothing but a
jack-screw could wrench the covering from the deck.

When the starboard ports turned gray with the light of morning we had
given up. There was nothing to do but wait for something to happen, and
all we could foresee was our doom in the vessel.

The sea had calmed, and Captain Riggs unscrewed one of the ports and
looked out just as the sun popped up over the hills of the Philippine
coast.

"Land!" shouted Captain Riggs, as he opened the port, and I climbed up on
the bunks and opened a port for myself. "That's the Zambales coast of
L