ose so," was the sour response.

"Then my answer is that I'll see the whole gang of you hanged first!
You don't get Martella without the biggest fight of your lives, and
you don't keep me on this old tub without a bigger fight; I'm not
afraid of the whole pack of jail birds of you!"

CHAPTER XXXVII.

"Arrest him!" commanded General Yozarro, speaking directly to Colonel
Carlos Del Valle, his chief of staff, standing next to the American;
"put him in irons."

The officer addressed reached out his hand to lay on the shoulder of
Jack Starland, who, at that instant, recalled the knockout blow he had
given Cadet Hillman of the First Class, one memorable spring morning
at old Fort Putnam, West Point. It was the same lightning-like stroke
which crashed into the face of the colonel and sent him staggering and
toppling back to the opposite side of the cabin. Then, whipping out
his revolver, Starland backed from the cabin, ran down the steps to
the bow of the boat, and before any one suspected his purpose, shouted
to his own executive officer:

"Captain Winton, I am betrayed! Open fire, and sink this tug!"

Then he wheeled about and with leveled weapon, added:

"I will kill the first man who attempts to lay a finger on me!"

General Yozarro and his officers showed more promptitude than would
have been expected. Seeing that a conflict was inevitable, they set
out to win by their own quickness. Their armament was heavier than
that of the American yacht,--that is to say, though his pieces carried
smaller missiles, he had two of them, while that of the _Warrenia_ was
a brass saluting twelve-pounder.

The port gun was slewed around and pointed at the other craft, now
within twenty-five yards, and in a twinkling it bore fairly.

"Fire!" shouted the excited General, too savage to regard the usual
preliminaries.

Major Starland shuddered, for he saw the gun seemingly directed true
and knew it must do great destruction on his yacht. The gunner snapped
the lanyard, but a dull click followed and there was no discharge.

General Yozarro uttered an oath and Captain Ortega called from the
pilot house:

"That is the one which was not loaded!"

Jack Starland had forgotten the fact in the flurry of the moment. He
smiled and looked across at his own boat. Captain Winton did not throw
away a second. He signalled to the engine room, quickly veered, and
the brass twelve-pounder was pointed fairly at the tug. Meantime, by
work