Part 32 (1/2)

There was not a sound, and after waiting a few moments to co of his heart, Mark went on,--

”My lads, that , as Toain, for his words would hardly come Then, more and more huskily from his eot the pluck The crew of that schooner stole upon us in the night, struck you all down, and pitched us into the boat”

There was another pause--a longer one, for it required a desperate effort to get out the words Then, so faintly as to be hardly heard, but with a strength in them which electrified the listeners, Mark Vandean, midshi+pman and mere boy, said to the stout men around him,--

”It's dark as pitch now, lads, so couldn't we steal aboard and serve them the same?”

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

A DESPERATE ATTEMPT

For the boat quivered as to ain their exciteht back to a knowledge of their position by that softly-uttered warning sound just as a lanthorn was seenat a distance onceof a hatch

The boat rocked a little again as the men sank back in their places, while Mark felt as if he were being suffocated, as he tre drops upon his forehead

For he was startled at his ventureso, experienced, determined man, and now that he had made the proposal he felt as if he must have been mad

To carry out such a venture needed quite fresh, active men Those to whom he had proposed the attempt were in no wise fit, and to induce the them to their death

”It is all foolishness,” he said to hihts flashed through his brain, but the next moment he awoke to the fact that he had set a spark in contact with a train of huht, and that it was iether, mates,” whispered Tom Fillot ”Not a sound on your lives Come, Mr Vandean, sir, say the word--when Now? At once?”

”No, no,” whispered back Mark; ”you are all weak and ill I've been thinking about it since I spoke, and it is too ry murmur arose, and Tom Fillot chuckled

”Too ive the word, and there's that in us now as'll carry us through anything Only you lead us, sir, and we'll do all the work Is that the right word, maties?”

”Yes,” came like a hiss from the whole party

”There, sir You hear Don't you be afraid as on't do our duty by you”

”No, no, Tom Fillot, I'm not a bit afraid of that, but the venture seems too wild”

”Not it, sir Why, we're all red hot to be let go; so now then, what about the plans?”

”I have none, and we had better give up the business”

”You're saying that to save us, sir, but we don't want to be saved the trouble We want to get that schooner back, and serve out the rough 'uns who half killed all on us And what's more, ot to our et it back again That's so, ain't it, lads?”

”Ay, ay,” hispered so deeply that it hardly reached Mark's ears; but there was a fierce earnestness in it that told how strong was the determination on the part of the race, while, just as he thought this, by a strange coincidence, Tom Fillot whispered,--