his comrades close at his heels. The
sentinel was taken completely by surprise, but drew his sword
nevertheless, and sprang at Sam with a shout.

The latter, although not a professional warrior, had been taught
single-stick at school, and was an expert swordsman. He parried the
pirate's furious thrust, and gave him what is technically termed cut
Number 1, which clove his turban to the skull and stretched him on the
deck. It was a fortunate cut, for the shout had brought up seven
pirates, five from below and two from the fore-part of the vessel, where
they had been asleep between two guns. With these his comrades were now
engaged in mortal combat--three of them having simultaneously attacked
Johnson, while two had assailed Jim Slagg.

When Sam turned round the stout sailor had cut down one of his foes, but
the other two would probably have proved too much for him if Sam had not
instantly engaged one of them. He was a powerful, active man, so that
for nearly a minute they cut and thrust at each other without advantage
to either, until Sam tried a feint thrust, which he followed up with a
tremendous slash at the head. It took effect, and set him free to aid
Slagg, who was at the moment in deadly peril, for poor Slagg was no
swordsman, and had hitherto foiled his two antagonists by sheer activity
and the fury of his assaults. He was quite collected, however, for,
even in the extremity of his danger, he had refrained from using his
revolver lest he should thereby give the alarm to the pirates on land.
With one stroke Sam disposed of one of the scoundrels, and Slagg
succeeded in cutting down the other.

Meanwhile our hero, Robin, and Stumps had attacked the two pirates who
chanced to be nearest to them. The former thought of Letta and her
wretched fate if this assault should fail. The thought filled his
little body, with such a gush of what seemed to him like electric fire,
that he leaped on his opponent with the fury of a wild cat, and bore him
backward, so that he stumbled over the combings of a hatchway and was
thrown flat on the deck--_hors de combat_.

But Stumps was not so fortunate. Slow in all his movements, and not too
courageous in spirit, he gave way before the villain who assailed him.
It was not indeed much to his discredit, for the man was much larger, as
well as more active and fierce, than himself. A cut from the pirate's
sword quickly laid him low, and his antagonist instantly turned on
Robin.