FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112  
113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   >>  
on us," yelled the same hoarse voice. "There are ladies aboard!" "A likely yarn!" Hal jeered hotly. "If you fire you'll find that there are. Now, sheer off!" "You lay to," insisted Lieutenant Hal. "We're coming aboard." "You only think you are!" "Will you lay to?" "No!" "Run up alongside. We'll have to board 'em under way," Hal said, in a low voice. "Noll, head the men in the cabin. Order 'em to fix their bayonets. Don't bring them on deck until you find that we're boarding. Then be brisk about it!" As the "Restless" leaped in to lay alongside the stranger there could no longer be any doubt as to the grim intentions of the United States forces. From the deck of the stranger came another sheet of flame. Hal felt one of the bullets tear through his left sleeve, though without cutting the flesh of his arm. "Fire!" he gave the order. When they shoot, regulars are taught to do it coolly and with effect. Two or three yells from the stranger's deck greeted the volley, indicating that some had been hit. But above all there rose a woman's piercing shriek. "They really have a woman on board!" gasped Hal, feeling chill and sick for an instant. "Yes, you infernal scoundrels!" came in the same hoarse voice. "Oh, you'll pay for this outrage!" "Fix bayonets!" Hal ordered, quietly, for now the two boats were close together, and Helmsman Hank was running the "Restless" right in for a boarding. Bump! The two boats came together. "Prepare to board! Board!" shouted Hal, and was first to leap to the deck of the stranger, a craft some seventy feet in length and rather broad of beam. His soldiers followed him. All the young officers went over the side, and Lieutenant Noll led the reserves from the cabin of the "Restless." Right on the heels of the soldiers followed Skipper Tom and Engineer Joe, to lash the two craft fast. "Who commands here?" demanded Lieutenant Overton. There was no answer. "Where's the gentleman with the fog-horn voice who appeared to have so much to say?" Hal questioned sharply. None of the crew of the boarded vessel spoke. Nor was any further effort at resistance made. On the deck Lieutenant Overton found one Mexican dead, and another badly wounded. Near each lay a rifle. Another Mexican seemingly unarmed, stood by the wheel, looking on with a sickly grin, but saying nothing. Down in the engine-room huddled two other Mexicans. "Sergeant, search the man at the w
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112  
113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   >>  



Top keywords:
stranger
 

Lieutenant

 

Restless

 

bayonets

 

Mexican

 
boarding
 
Overton
 

soldiers

 
alongside
 

hoarse


aboard

 

officers

 
Skipper
 

Engineer

 
Helmsman
 

reserves

 
ordered
 
shouted
 

length

 

seventy


quietly

 

Prepare

 

running

 

sickly

 

unarmed

 

seemingly

 

wounded

 

Another

 

Sergeant

 

Mexicans


search

 
huddled
 

engine

 

appeared

 

demanded

 
answer
 

gentleman

 
questioned
 

sharply

 
resistance

effort
 

boarded

 
vessel
 
commands
 

leaped

 

States

 
United
 

forces

 
intentions
 

longer