hing the man and swinging
him into a doorway. "Keep in there, and you're safe from the
enemy's fire."

Swiftly Lieutenant Trent crossed the street to hear the escaped one,
whom Darrin was already questioning.

"You're an American?" asked Dave.

"Yes!" came the answer.

"How did you come to be here?"

"Escaped from the basement of the hotel. I knew it was up to
me to get through to you if I could live through the storm of
bullets that I knew would be sent after me. My news is of the
utmost importance!"

Then, to the astounded American Navy officers the stranger made
this blood-stirring announcement:

"In the Hotel Diligencia are at least twenty American women!"

CHAPTER XXI

A RESCUE AND A "FACER"

"You're sure of that?" breathed Trent, tensely.

I ought to be, uttered the man, hoarsely. "One of the women is
my wife, and another is my daughter! I haven't seen any of the
women in five hours."

"How so?" asked Trent, sharply.

"The soldiers thrust me into the basement. Ever since I found
myself alone I've been working with a penknife to dig out the
mortar of the bricks in which the window bars were imbedded."

"The instant I had jerked enough bars loose I crawled through the
opening and started for you."

Giving swift instructions to keep the machine gun going continuously,
and to keep the fire trained on the edge of the hotel roof, Trent
detailed four riflemen to remain with the machine gun man, then
led the rest swiftly under the hail of bullets that raged over
their heads.

In this mode of attack the sailormen gained the sidewalk under the
hotel without a shot having been fired from the roof.

"Ensign Darrin, lead as many men as you can against the doors!"
ordered the lieutenant. "Get them down as fast as you can!"

Their first assaults against the massive doors failing, four sailors
were sent on a run for some form of battering ram. They returned
with half of a telegraph pole that had been cut in two by shell
fire in the afternoon.

Borne by a dozen stout jackies, the pole was dashed against the
door. At the second assault the lock was broken. Dave dashed
into the hotel at the head of his squad.

"Straight to the roof, Ensign Darrin!" shouted Lieutenant Trent.
"Ensign Dalzell, you will take ten men and endeavor to find the
American women."

Then Trent, with the remainder of the command, rushed on after
the advance guard. Up the stairs dashed Dave in the lead. The
skyl