Part 34 (1/2)

He was obeyed, and the ht noise--a mere trifle of sound, but it was sufficient to alar watch; and to Mark's horror, he heard a quick movement, followed by a shout of alarainst the schooner's side, glided along, and Toripped the chains, stopped her course, and etting out?” cried the skipper, hurrying on deck, and of course upsetting the plan of keeping him and his men below

But before he had quite finished his question, Mark's voice rang out,--”Forward!” and he sprang up in the chains, followed by his men, leaped on deck, and directly after there was aflash and the report of a pistol, but thedown upon the deck, to roll over and over until stopped by the bulwark

It was the skipper who fired, and then went doith a fierce cry of rage, for To hi sufficient to send hi his pistol as a club, struck with it fiercely in all directions as he cheered on his men, and bravely resisted the attempt to drive him and his followers below

It was still very dark; the schooner's crew had rushed up at the first alars of the hatch, they dashed at their assailants, with the consequence that in a very few seconds the deck was a confusion of struggling, yelling, and cursinghard for their different ai party overboard into their boat or into the river--anywhere to clear the deck

It was a wild and savage affair, the energy of desperation being fully developed on either side Weapons were little used, for the two parties closed in a fierce struggle, or else struck out with their fists; and as the two parties were pretty well balanced for nu on his men, Mark had been one of the first to leap on deck, and, once there, he had dashed, dirk in hand, at the first sailor he encountered, and immediately found out that even if armed with a dirk, a middy of seventeen is no h he caught his adversary by the throat with one hand, and pointed his dirk with the other, as he bade the man surrender, matters went badly for him

For the man, who knew that the capture of the vessel htest intention of surrendering to a orous efforts he sent Mark's dirk flying in one direction, and hurled him in another so violently that the lad fell heavily on his head and shoulder, and for the space of two minutes there was no one to hold the command

But Mark's semi-insensibility only lasted those two ling going on around and over hi to be tra-block for friends and eneet out of the way, rolled over and found his dirk beneath hi, half-stunned, and, in pain intense enough to enrage hi to his followers to come on

The orders were unnecessary, for the men had come on, and were locked in the embrace of their enemies, but the cry stie and mortification of the Yankee skipper, the schooner's creere driven back step by step aft, till the next thing seemed to be that they would be forced below, the hatch clapped on, and the Englishmen be un with powder, fire it, and the force of the preparation will drive the bullet a certain distance But then the powder has exploded, and its force is at an end So it ith Mark's followers; the force in theht aft, but there was no , and in obeying Mark's last cry they were co

Finding out the weakness of the attacking party, the slavers ceased giving way, rebounded, and the tables were rapidly turned, Mark'sdriven back step by step, forward and to the side over which they had come to the attack It was in vain that they shouted to one another to stand by and co his fists fly like windmill sails, while Mark's voice was heard above the din: they were thoroughly beaten It eak and injuredand hearty, and in spite of true British pluck and deterht resolved itself into assault against stubborn resistance, theto say by their acts, ”Well, if you are to pitch us overboard, you shall have as ive you”

”Ah, would yer!” roared To one of his rushes in time to upset a couple of the schooner's les, and were about to throw him over the side

As the athered hi extre with the slavers, one of who, another man made at the midshi+p, but thrusting fiercely at his face with the end

Mark ducked, avoided the blow, and naturally sought to ing out so sharply that it went home in the man's shoulder, and he yelled out, dropped the bar, and fled

”Why didn't you do that before, ten ti himself free ”It's too late now, sir I'm afraid we're beat this tirily ”Come on, my lads!” and hestruck down, for he advanced quite alone, To with the rest, till they stood against the bulwarks--that is, those who could stand, three being down on their knees

”Mr Vandean, sir--help! help!” roared To out fiercely with his dirk, Mark returned to his iving his assailant a sharp dig with the steel

”Now, my lads, never mind the boy,” cried the Yankee skipper; ”over with them”

The men, who had drawn back for the moment, gle, a loud splash, and the schooners orous of their assailants

A shout and another heave, and Dance had gone Then dick Bannock, who kicked and cursed like aup and tossed over The rest followed, and, with his back to the bulwarks and his dirk advanced, Mark stood alone upon the deck, last of the gallant little crew, knowing that his turn had conity about to be put upon a British officer, even if he were a boy

”Bah! rush him,” roared the captain, and Mark had time for two blows at his assailants, whoht to the bows, for a flood of led hard with thehi cry, as it seemed to him, from the hold where the poor blacks were confined; and it ith a bitter feeling of despair at his being unable to help them, that Mark made his last effort to free himself The next moment he was jerked out from the side of the schooner, fell with a tre tide; there was a flashi+ng as of silver in the moonbea waters in his ears

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

UNEXPECTED ALLIES

”Here, hi! Look-out, lads! Where's our orficer?”