ntly,
had been discharged, and in the melee no one had time to reload.

Bob, straining desperately at the hatch-cover, spied Jeremy's
pike-shaft, and thrusting it through the narrow opening, pried with all
his strength. The hatch squeaked open reluctantly and the boys squirmed
through on to the deck.

They gasped at the sight which met their eyes as they emerged. Both of
them had confidently expected to find the pirates already beaten, and
fighting with their backs to the wall. But such was far from being the
case.

On the deck amidships lay two men from the _Tiger_, sorely wounded,
while Job and two others stood at bay above them, swinging cutlasses
mightily, and beating off, time after time, the attacks of a dozen
fierce pirate hanger-men. A number of buccaneers had fallen but all who
were unwounded were raging like a pack of dogs about the figures of Job
and his two supporters.

"They can't get up!" cried Bob, "The men can't climb the side! Here,
help me bring that rope!" It was a matter of seconds only before the
boys had dashed across the deck and thrown a rope's end to the men below
in the longboat. Then Jeremy turned and ran toward the waist. Another
man was down now. Job and a single comrade were fighting back to back,
parrying with red blades the blows of half a score of the enemy. Jeremy
saw a gleam of yellow teeth between wicked lips, and a flash of light
eyes in the thick of the assault. Then for a moment he had a glimpse of
the whole face of Pharaoh Daggs, scarred and distorted with frightful
passion--a cruel wolf's face--and even as he looked, the dripping
sword-blade of the man with the broken nose plunged between the ribs of
Job's last henchman. The wounded seaman staggered, leaning his weight
against his captain, but still kept his guard up, defending himself
feebly. Job hooked his left arm about the poor lad's body and backed
with his burden toward the mainmast, slashing fiercely around him with
his tireless right arm the while. When they reached the mast, Job leaned
his comrade against it, set his own back to the wood, and battled on.

But now a cheer resounded, and the buccaneers, turning their heads,
found themselves face to face with the rush of half a dozen men from the
_Tiger_, while more could be seen swarming over the rail.

The knot of pirates broke to meet the attack, but some of them stayed.
Daggs and three others, including the huge mulatto mate, closed in on
Job, cutting at him sava