zen
slight wounds, and turned to smite down at a man who had leaped for the
poop; as his sword sheared through helm and skull, there came another
tug, and Brian felt a bullet scrape along his ribs.

The O'Donnells drew back momentarily, and in the brief pause Brian saw
the figure of the Dark Master by the starboard rail in the waist, aiming
up at him with a pistol, while two men behind him were hastily charging
others. Cathbarr saw the action also, and hastily flung Brian aside, but
too late. A burst of smoke flooded over the waist, and Brian caught the
pistol-flash through it, as the ball ripped his left arm from shoulder
to elbow. Then the pirates were at the poop again, and the waist was
shut out by the flooding smoke as the wind drove it down from forward.

With a scant dozen men behind them, Brian and Cathbarr once more beat
the enemy back; the giant swung his ax less lightly now, and seemed to
be covered with wounds, though most of them were slight. Brian still
eyed the waist for another glimpse of the Dark Master, but the smoke was
thick and he could see nothing. In the lull he flung a wan smile at
Cathbarr, who stood leaning on his ax, his mail-shirt shredded and
bloody.

"Are you getting your fill of battle, brother?"

"Aye," grinned the giant, "and we had best swim for it in another minute
or the ship--look! _M'anam an diaoul!_ Look!"

At his excited yell Brian turned, as a ball whistled between them. There
below, in a boat half full of dead, but with two men at the oars, stood
the Dark Master, just lowering his pistol. He flung the empty weapon up
at Brian with a hoarse yell of anger, and passed from sight beneath the
ship's counter, toward the stern.

Realizing only that his enemy was escaping, Brian whirled and darted for
the poop-cabins. He was dimly conscious of a mass of figures behind,
amid whom stood Cathbarr with the ax heaving up and down, then he was in
the cabins. Jerking open the door to the stern-walk, he saw the Dark
Master's boat directly underneath, hardly six feet from him.

"Tyr-owen!" yelled Brian, and dropping his sword, but holding his skean
firmly, he hurdled the stern-walk railing and leaped.

At that wild shout the Dark Master looked up, but he was too late. Brian
hurtled down, his body striking O'Donnell full in the chest and driving
him over on top of the two rowers, so that all four men sprawled out
over the dead. For an instant the shock drove the breath out of Brian,
then