tle bowlders.

Diagonally he had to go. A straight parallel to the beach it was for
them. Fast as he was, some of them would intercept his way to the
incoming dory. Three, four, perhaps a dozen would be there before him.

A dozen it was, and one huge man and Lackford, with no oilskins to
hamper them, were in the front; and because they were in front they felt
the force of Leary's arm. It would have been joy to stop and battle with
them all, but that wasn't saving the vessel. He caught one with one
hand, and one with the other--and it was so easy and so satisfying!

But that wouldn't be making Bess happy by and by. There were two more
that he could have reached, but those two he dodged. But two now between
him, and he was for stopping to box with them--the battle fever was
getting him--but a voice came to him: "Don't stop for them, skipper.
Come on. We're here."

Leary turned and saw, and raced for the water's edge. A wide leap and he
was in the dory. They tore after him, minding not the fallen bodies in
their eagerness. Up to their waists in the water they rushed with yells
of rage. Stones came flying after him. A few struck him, but they were
too small to do damage.

From the dory Leary faced them again. "That's you--two hundred of
you--you spawn of dogfish."

"Blast 'em, Sammie, don't talk to them. Out oars, Ned, and drive her!
Here's the kind of talk for the likes of them!" and between his
skipper's arm and body Tim Lacy from behind thrust an old-fashioned
heavy dragoon pistol. "Only one shot in her, but make that one good;
here y'are, Sammie."

Leary's fingers curled about the stock of it, and it felt pleasant to
the touch. Yet for all that he thrust it back, but as he did so Tim's
dory-mate tumbled down beside Leary in the dory. On the bottom of the
dory the jagged rock was rolling even as the blood welled from his
temple. And then came a report--another, and a third; and with the third
a bullet whizzed close.

"Blast you all!" shrieked Leary, and with a leg either side of the
fallen man's body he held the pistol waist-high. "Come on now! Come on
now, I say! _You_, and _you_, and _you_, you white-livered----"

"After him--drag him out of the dory!"

"Ay, drag me out! Come you and drag me out!" And threatening variously
with his pistol, Leary pointed directly at what seemed to be a new
leader, a man with a revolver. "And let me tell you"--he pointed to the
armed man--"whoever you are, you round-shouldere