lood trickling
through her fingers. And her face froze in a mask of horror when from
behind Dolores stepped Milo, armed with a great broad-ax, and bent his
deep black eyes full upon her with terrible accusation in them.

The giant saw the coming storm, and knew the futility of trying to stem
it with his blow-pipe. He emerged, armed with his ax, at the moment when
the pirates, answering their mate's cry with a shout, surged up the
altar steps with blood in their eyes.

Dolores now shook off her seeming unconcern, and with alert vision took
in the tremendous crisis. Stumpy's band, with Pearse at their leader's
side, had been driven back in the first attack to the rock itself; and
now stood with their backs to it grimly waiting for the second onset.
They had fought hitherto for her; she saw to it that they did not change
their allegiance. Leaping up to the ledge behind the altar, she cried:

"Stumpy! Thou'rt my man. Bring thy fellows up here; one man may hold a
score here. Milo! Make way for my faithful ones!"

With Stumpy on the ledge, and his score of men, the battle became dead
for the moment. Few of the pirates had firearms, except on forays, and
then their ammunition was doled out to them. By this means they had ever
been kept in subjection; and now the plan was to prove their undoing;
for they could not reach their prey, whose cutlas points presented an
insurmountable barrier to their storming the rock. And with John Pearse
up there among the defenders, Tomlin and Venner found themselves
wondering just what their own position was. They, unblinded by the rage
of the pirates, saw the futility of storming that rocky wall with steel,
and in the momentary hush and indecision they withdrew from the mob and
stood apart, thinking over what was to come.

To Dolores, the hesitation of her foes was something she could not
brook, for her great hope now was to set her rascals at each other's
throats to their ultimate annihilation. She whispered into Milo's ear.

"Get thy blow-pipe again. Send a dart into Hanglip's black throat, and
let every man see how 'tis done."

The giant obeyed. The slender, six-inch dart sped fair to its mark, and
Hanglip dropped. But as he fell his eyes saw, as did his men, whence had
come the mysterious death that had already taken heavy toll among them.
And Dolores saw her plan work to amazing effect; for Hanglip, with his
last wheezing breath, raised himself on his elbow, and barked:

"Now ye se