Part 19 (2/2)

TOM HALSTEAD--READY!

There was no time to raise the anchor Even had this been possible, it would have been out of the question to get the et out of the Drab's way

Captain Toht with his wits asleep

”Make a dive for those sticks, fellows!” he shouted, bounding for the ive 'em at least a pat for a blow!”

The sticks of firewood that they had used on the night of their long sere in the ain Joe Daas barely a step behind hih by instinct for the hitching weight that had already made him famous in the annals of the Motor Boat Club

Swift as they were, the trio were back on deck just in time to witness the finalvery fast, suddenly veered in its course

Instead of cutting through the ”Restless,” the larger side, rail to rail And now the whole intention was ures of six men, with their caps pulled well down over their eyes, appeared at the Drab's rail

”All hands to repel boarders!” sang out Captain To defiantly ”Show 'ele-stick trick he had learned and practiced It was a feint, aimed at the first of the Drab's crew to try to leap aboard The intended victim threw up his hands to ward off the blow fro, crushi+ng slap across the face

Tom thrust one end of his stick for the face of another of the boarding strangers The fellow strove to protect his face, and would have guarded easily enough, but, instead, the other end of To hirunted Hank, at the first sign of onslaught

In both hands he clutched that business-like, though not forht One man set his foot on deck Hank, alht on the toes of that foot

There was a yell of pain snatching up the weight instantly, Hank let it fly forward and fall across the toes of another of the boarders

Two of the strangers were li an injured face, from Joe's heavy blow Captain To for breath

The other two of the invaders got aboard the ”Restless”--then wished they hadn't, for Hank pursued one of theht, while To eneun when it ended; it was all over in an instant The tho had escaped injury leaped back aboard the Drab

Those who needed assistance were helped back The Drab drifted away, her vagrant course unheeded at first, for it looked as though all aboard had taken part in that disastrous boarding enterprise

To for their own anchor, while Joe, as soon as he saw the big motor boats drift apart, dropped into the small boat of the ”Restless” and roiftly for shore Hardly had he touched the beach when Powell Seaton, rifle in hand, bounded forth froet Hepton, too,” directed the charter-ht up out of the bushes, almost into the face of the felloho landed on my side of the river

It was neither Dalton nor Lehed, put a chew of tobacco in hiswhen Joe Dawson shot the bow of the little boat against the further bank During this ti his rifle in readiness in case another effort should be made to ram or board the ”Restless”

”Oh, you-u-u-u!” called Joe, hailing There was a sound in the woods, and then Hepton caht

”Did you see the man who landed on your side?” whispered Powell Seaton, as Hepton reached the beach

”Yes; he was just an ordinary roustabout chap,” grunted Hepton, disgustedly ”I had no orders to follow _hiht Juet aboard the 'Restless'”