Part 27 (2/2)

”Mott is dead. I found his body in the cabin,” I told our chief.

”I was afraid of it. With Mott gone and Dugan wounded we were short two men at the beginning of the scrimmage. Eight to fourteen--devilish long odds. Easy with that sleeve there. Here you, Billie Blue, get me a sponge and a basin of water. And tell Miss Wallace to bring her sticking plaster.”

Morgan, very white, was sitting on the opposite lounge trying to stop with a handkerchief the blood from a scalp wound. From where I lay I could see the body of Williams just outside the saloon. A stray bullet from one of the retreating mutineers had killed him at the very close of the battle.

Altogether that left us five sound men, counting Blue as a man, and three wounded ones. The pirates had suffered more. One I had disposed of at the first rush, just before they reached the cabin, and the flunky had wounded one of the firemen.

Yeager had picked off Johnson in the run for the bridge, and Sam had wounded Caine. In addition to these at least two more had been blooded in the scrimmage at close quarters outside the wheelhouse.

”Eight of them left against five of us, not counting the wounded on either side,” Yeager summed up.

”What has become of Philips?” I asked, remembering that I had not seen him since the row began.

”Thought I saw him run down stairs when the beggars poured in on us here, sir,” Alderson answered.

Later the poor fellow was found in his berth, trembling like an aspen leaf. He had locked his door and buried his face in the pillows.

A shock of red hair above a very white face appeared at the head of the companionway. ”Is--is it all over?” gasped a small voice.

”Yes, Jimmie, right now it is. And you'll notice that we're still sticking to the saddle, son, and not pulling leather either,” observed the plainsman cheerfully.

”I--I didn't know it would be like this,” murmured the boy. ”I thought----” His voice tailed out and he dropped limply into a seat, his fascinated eyes fixed on my bleeding arm.

Yeager clasped a hand on the boy's shoulder.

”Brace up, kid. The first round is ours, strong. We've had to hustle, but I reckon we've given them a hectic time of it. They'll not bother us for quite some hours. Captain Bothwell is busy explaining to a real sore outfit just why his plans miscarried.”

”Is Mr. Sedgwick--killed?” asked the boy, swallowing hard.

I laughed faintly.

”He's worth a dozen dead men yet, Jimmie.”

And to prove it I fell back among the pillows, unconscious.

CHAPTER XV

THE MORNING AFTER

My opening eyes fell upon Evelyn. She was putting the last touches to the bandage on my arm, which was already dressed and bound. Evidently I had been unconscious some time.

”It's all right. We won,” were my first words to her.

”I know,” she answered with a faint glow of color. ”Thanks to the brave men who risked their lives for us!”

”Poor Williams was killed, and Morgan was hurt. Has his wound been looked to?”

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