soldier
and throttled him. Both being powerful men they fell on the ground in a
deadly struggle, at which sight Hester could only look on with clasped
hands in helpless terror.

But the British seaman was at hand. He had feared that some such
mischief would arise. Seeing that two other soldiers were running to
the aid of their fallen comrade, he suddenly gave the signal for the
revolt of the slaves. It was premature. Taken by surprise, the
half-hearted among the conspirators paid no attention to it, while the
timid stood more or less bewildered. Only a few of the resolute and
reckless obeyed the call, but these furnished full employment for their
guards, for, knowing that failure meant death, if not worse, they fought
like fiends.

Meanwhile the first of the two soldiers who came running, sword in hand,
towards Sommers, was met by Brown. With a piece of wood in his left
hand, that worthy parried the blow that was delivered at his head. At
the same time he sent his right fist into the countenance of his
adversary with such force that he became limp and dropped like an empty
topcoat. This was fortunate, for the companion janissary was close to
him when he wheeled round. The blazing look of the seaman, however,
induced so much caution in the Turk that, instead of using his sword, he
drew a long pistol from his girdle and levelled it. Brown leaped upon
him, caught the pistol as it exploded just in time to turn the muzzle
aside, wrenched the weapon from his foe's grasp, and brought the butt of
it down with such a whack on his head that it laid him beside his
comrade.

Turning quickly to the still struggling pair, he saw that the janissary
was black in the face, and that Sommers was compressing his throat with
both hands and had his knee on his stomach, while Hester and Sally were
looking on horrified, but hopeful. At the same time he saw fresh
soldiers running up the street to reinforce the guard.

"Hester," he said sharply, and seizing the girl's hand, "come, bolt with
me. I've knowed your father a good while. Quick!"

"Impossible!" she cried, drawing back. "I will not leave my father
now!"

"You'll have to leave him anyhow," cried the sailor. "You can do him no
good. If free you might--"

A shout at the moment caused him to glance round. It proceeded both
from slaves and guards, for both at the same moment caught sight of the
approach of the reinforcements. The former scattered in all direction