face at
the window.

"In heaven's name!" cried the boy. "What has happened? Are any more
of you alive?"

CHAPTER XXV.

The Second Mate's Story.

The face at the window was that of Jacob Duff, the second mate. He
shook his head in a melancholy way and beckoned with his hand.

"Come a little closer. The blacks are drunk and have exhausted their
ammunition. The magazine is in the lower hold, double locked and they
haven't found it yet."

Ralph slowly pulled under the stern where he would be protected from
missiles. Over his head was a screaming crowd of savages who, however,
confined themselves to unintelligible threats.

The other boat was gone. Duff, leaning out, motioned with his hand.

"There is no time for explanations now," said he. "Let us get away
from here while those demons are too drunk to know how to hinder us.
Heavens, but what a time we've had!"

While speaking he handed out a pair of oars, a bag of ship's biscuit,
and a breaker of water.

Meantime the negroes evidently discovered that the boy was
communicating with some one on board. The cries and uproar redoubled.
The noise of a crowd surging down the companionway and into the main
cabin could be heard. Then came a tremendous crash against the door of
the stateroom.

"Hurry up!" exclaimed Duff coolly, handing out the things all in a heap
and scrambling to get through the small aperture himself. "I braced
the door, but they are battering it down. Quick, Ralph, pull me
through by the arms."

[Illustration: "Quick, Ralph, pull me through by the arms."]

The boy was none too swift. Tugging with might and main, he dragged
the mate through and both fell heavily to the bottom of the yawl,
nearly capsizing the craft, just as the stateroom door gave way.

A stream of frantic blacks swarmed into the little apartment, one of
whom, thrusting his hideous face out at the window, was unceremoniously
pushed through by his comrades. He fell across the gunwale of the boat
and was shoved overboard by Duff, while Ralph, seizing an oar, placed
an end against the schooner's stern-post and threw all his waning
strength upon it, sending the yawl out from under the shelter of the
ship.

When the negroes saw two whites instead of one they appeared beside
themselves with rage. A few missiles were thrown; among other articles
a Winchester, which the boy strove in vain to reach as it rebounded
from the boat's bow into the sea. Duff was struck