heel, and then the pair down in the
engine-room," Hal ordered. "If you find weapons on them, make the men
your prisoners."

Followed by Noll and a few enlisted men, the Army boy made his way aft
to the entrance to the main cabin. Hal tried the door, but it resisted
his efforts.

"Open this door," he called, "and save us the trouble of breaking it
in."

"Don't dare break it in," remonstrated the hoarse voice. "If you do it
will fall across the body of the woman you've probably already killed by
your bullets."

Hal felt another chill run down his spine, but he answered firmly:

"If there's a wounded woman in there we'll do our best to rush her
toward surgical help. But you'll have to open that door, or we'll do it
for you!"

"Then you'd better stand away, boy!" warned the hoarse voice grimly. "If
you try to force your way in here you'll eat more bullets than you'll
like."

"Just what we're after," retorted Lieutenant Overton grimly. "We want to
lay our hands on the men who fired on United States troops, and I know
they must be in there, for they're nowhere else on the boat. Your deck
holds only two out of all who fired. Going to open?"

"_No_, you young hound!"

"Put your shoulders to the door, men!" continued Hal, turning to the
nearest soldiers.

"I'll shoot the first man who comes through!" defied the voice behind
the door, hoarser than ever. "And I'll shoot as many more as I can!"

"Some of you men on the sides of the deck-house push your rifles through
the cabin windows and be prepared to shoot if you have to," ordered Hal
coolly.

There was a crashing of glass as the rifle muzzles were thrust in
through the cabin windows.

Again the woman's shriek rang out.

"If you have to fire," continued Lieutenant Overton, "take all possible
care not to hit the woman."

Bump! Bump! Even the sturdy cabin door was beginning to yield under the
repeated impacts of so many pairs of shoulders. At last the door swung
back on its hinges.

"Back, men, but stand ready!" commanded the Army boy, pressing forward
through the opened doorway.

The handsome young lieutenant looked cool and undaunted as he stepped
into the cabin, without a weapon in either hand.

Hal found himself confronted by a big, purple-faced individual of
perhaps middle age, who stood glaring at the intruder, a revolver
clutched in his right hand.

Back of him stood five Mexicans, each with a rifle, though the man at
the moment was making no vis