e ax and the sword had cloven a way,
although the remnant of the twenty pikemen were fighting like fiends.

Suddenly a yell of dismay went up from the O'Donnell ranks, and they
broke in wild confusion. Leaning on his sword and panting for breath,
Brian looked around and saw what had shattered them so swiftly.

While the stubborn fight had raged, the eastern sky had been streaming
and bursting into flame. Now, sharply outlined against the crimson
water, appeared Nuala's four ships close on those of the pirates. Even
as he looked, Brian saw their cannon spit out white smoke, while from
behind came a deeper thunder as the castle's guns sent their heavy balls
over the pirate ships.

These were anchored a hundred yards from shore, and Brian saw the danger
that betided as the stream of fugitives swept down toward the boats.
Nuala's ships were undermanned, for he had counted on cutting off most
of the pirates in the camp; should the Dark Master get to the ships with
his men, things were like to go hard.

"To the boats!" cried Brian to Cathbarr, and leaping over the dead, the
two joined their men and poured down on the shore.

The Dark Master himself stood by one of the boats, and others were
filling fast with men as they were shoved down. Brian tried to cut his
way to O'Donnell, but before he could do so the Dark Master had leaped
aboard and oars were out. Fully aware of their danger, those of the
pirates who could do so got into their boats and lay off the shore,
while others splashed aboard; Brian led his men down with a rush,
cutting down man after man, splashing out into the swirling water and
hacking at those in the boats, but all in vain. Some half-dozen of the
boats got off, crowded with men, while the remnant of the pirates held
off Brian's force that their master might escape.

Drawing out of the fight, Brian pulled forth his pistols and emptied
them both at the figure of O'Donnell. He saw the Dark Master reel, and
the rower next him plunged forward over the bows, but the next moment
O'Donnell had taken up the oar himself and was at work in mad haste.
Brian groaned and flung away his pistols.

Those aboard the pirate ships had already cut the cables and were
striving to make sail, for there was a light off-shore breeze in their
favor, with an ebbing tide. The O'Malley ships were close on them,
however, and as the cannon crashed out anew the masts of one O'Donnell
ship crashed over. But the Dark Master's boat wa