g man and the lad knew that he had a
hard job on his hands to dispose of him alone, to say nothing of the
second man, who, the lad knew, would be fit again in a moment.

But it was no time for indecision; and Jack sprang forward. His right
fist shot out with stinging force--a blow that would have ended the
battle right there had it landed, but the German ducked and clinched. At
this kind of fighting, he was more Jack's match and he seized the lad in
a tight embrace.

"Fritz!" called the German, as he and Jack struggled about the deck. "A
hand, quick!"

Fritz was now on his feet and he came forward in response to this
command. One huge fist he raised, and would have brought it down on
Jack's head had not the lad seen him out the tail of his eye and moved
his head swiftly to one side.

The blow missed.

Jack, with one hand free for a moment, dealt the helmsman a blow in the
face as he swooped past; then again turned his attention to the first
man.

The latter now also freed an arm and Jack staggered back from a heavy
blow in the face. Blood streamed from a cut over his right eye, blinding
him momentarily.

Jack shook the blood out of his eyes with a toss of his head and stepped
forward angrily. He had no mind to let his adversary clinch again if he
could help it.

As the German rushed Jack met him with a stiff left to the face and the
man halted in his tracks with a cry of pain. Jack followed up this
advantage with a right-handed blow to the abdomen, doubling the German
up like a knife. Then the lad reached his opponent's jaw with a hard
left.

The man staggered back and crumpled up in a heap.

"So much for you," muttered the lad, turning just in time to meet the
rush of the helmsman, who had now recovered from the effects of Jack's
blow and was coming angrily forward.

Now, this second man was even larger and more powerfully built than the
first German, and one huge arm warded off Jack's first short jab for the
face. Instead of attempting to return the blow, the helmsman grabbed
Jack by the arm, and yanked him suddenly forward.

Jack, caught unprepared, went stumbling forward. The helmsman stepped
aside and struck heavily at the lad as he reeled past.

Had he taken his time and aimed carefully the battle would have ended
right there; fortunately, however, his haste was too great and he only
struck the lad a glancing blow.

In spite of this fact, however, the force of it was so great that it
staggered