with the remaining mines and hauled for dear life.
Already the Indian rifle fire was crackling with vivid spurts of flame,
and stones and arrows were beginning to patter on the deck and bang
against the steel plates. Two of the dynamite bombs exploded with the
usual din, but it was impossible to ascertain their effect owing to the
yelling of the Indians.

The loud summons of the siren brought all hands from below; arms were
hastily secured, the fore and aft awnings closed, and Walker made shift
to hammer the engine-room door tight. The increasing violence of the
stone-slinging showed that the Alaculofs meant to press home this time.
Whatever their dread of the fiends who roam the world in the dark, they
had conquered it, and this latest phase in the stormy history of the
ship threatened to be its most trying one.

Courtenay, who seemed to be everywhere at once, lighted torches which
were fastened to the empty davits in readiness for a night alarm. He
had used the last rocket on board, but the flares would burn for
fifteen minutes at least. By their light the defenders were able to
shoot or smash the skulls of several savages who climbed up roughly
contrived grapnells fashioned out of bent sticks and thongs of hide.
But there were only thirteen men to repel an attack which developed at
fifty points simultaneously. Ere the torches flickered in their
sockets the savages had swarmed over poop and bows. They were tearing
at the canvas shields and sweeping the hurricane deck with showers of
missiles. Tollemache was injured, and Walker. Courtenay had his
forehead cut open. Suarez fell insensible while he was bellowing
curses through the megaphone in the vain hope of frightening the
determined enemy. Two Chileans were down, one struck with a stone and
the other shot through the lungs.

So, at last, the _Kansas_ was in the grip of a savage and implacable
foe. Courtenay, while hauling a steam hose to the weakest point, the
after part of the promenade deck, met Christobal. He clutched the
Spaniard in a way there could be no mistaking.

"Go below!" he muttered in a terrible voice. "I cannot leave the deck.
You must go. And, for God's sake, don't tell her! Let her die without
knowing!"

CHAPTER XV

IN WHICH THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS

When Christobal descended to the saloon he found Elsie holding the
excited dog. It was instantly perceptible that she was not aware of
the grave position of affairs on deck.