easy wictim.
Then we turned on her to fire, an' blow her ter pieces. Wot wuz our
horror ter find as our powder got so wet we couldn't use it. Bein' as
ther guns wuz useless, wot did we do? Perpared ter board ther lubber. Up
ter her we dashed. Over flew ther grapplin' irons.

"On her deck swarmed her crew. Down in her hold they chased ther
pirates. But that wuz only a ruse on thar part. As soon's our crew went
below, up came ther lubbers through ther hatch, an' fastened our marines
down in ther hold. They wuz prisoners. I alone wuz lef aboard ther
Wabash. Seein' 'em makin' a rush fer our deck I grabbed a ax an' cut
ther grapplin's. We drifted apart afore they could board ther frigate.
Seein' as all wuz lost onless I licked ther swabs, I manned ther guns
an' gave 'em broadside ar ter broadside. I smashed thar ship ter pieces.
She went down never ter rise again. Most o' her crew wuz killed. Them
wot wuzn't swum on ther sea. Then I amused myself firin' shots at thar
heads. I took 'em off as clean as a whistle every time I let 'em have
it. In jest four minutes by ther clock they was all gone. Turnin' ter my
messmates---"

"Confined in the pirate's hold, they all went to the bottom with the
ship," said Jack, quietly.

"I--oh--ouch!"

"The powder was so wet you couldn't use it. But in spite of this you did
some remarkably good shooting, didn't you, Tim?"

"Wha'--wha--what d'yer mean?" feebly stammered the old sailor.

"Just what you said," laughed Jack.

"I must a fergot about sayin' that."

"Very likely. Will you acknowledge now that I've got you?"

"Ay, ay. There's no help for it."

"In a big lie?"

"But, my lad---"

"Tell the truth once in your life!"

"Waal, I owns up," groaned Tim.

It was a severe hardship to do it.

But there was no help for him, he realized.

Jack burst into a hearty peal of laughter.

The sheriff and the Dutchman, inside the stage, had heard all that
passed, and they fairly yelled over Tim's discomfiture.

"Nipped that time, Tim," laughed Timberlake.

"Shiminey Christmas, ditn'd he got it by der neck!" grinned Fritz.

"Tell as the rest of the yarn, Tim."

"Yah. Ve vos litsten," added Fritz.

"Awast yer lubbers!" growled the old fellow, sourly.

They might have chaffed him considerably more, but just then Jack
interrupted them with the startled exclamation:

"Hark, boys!"

"Vos iss?" eagerly asked Fritz.

"Horses' hoofs coming!"

"Ay, ay, I hears 'em!" said Tim.