ere if she had not been wrecked,
she and her crew would have been at the mercy of the men on shore. Just
the lifting of the wave had saved the vessel by a few inches, that, and
Captain Broom's quick and skillful action.

The second round of the contest had gone in favor of the pirate and his
crew, but only by a shade as it were. But it would not surprise me a bit
if Jim evened up matters in the third and final round. Let us hope so,
at least, for that will give a silver lining to the black cloud that had
rolled over the boys' fortunes at this particular time.

Jim made his way slowly back to where Jo and the Senor were waiting for
him on the beach. He was despondent over the failure of his plans by so
close a margin, and the sight of Tom and Juarez helpless on the deck in
the hands of these sea-coast pirates, was always before his eyes.

"What were you trying to do, Jim?" inquired Jo, "Sink the ship?" Before
Jim could reply, the Spaniard gave a cry of warning.

"Look out, they are going to shoot."

Glancing toward the Sea Eagle, which was now a half mile from shore,
they saw a puff of smoke, and then a shell struck into the beach below
them and exploding, sent a shower of sand over them and the horses. The
latter, frightened, reared and plunged, but the boys soon got their
animals under control, as they quickly tired of acting up in the heavy
sand. Jim shook his fist in the direction of the Sea Eagle.

"Curse your insolence!" he yelled. "I'll make every one of you eat crow,
you miserable hounds!"

Jim looked ugly, his eyes glared with concentrated fury and the veins on
his temple were swollen and throbbing. Unthinkingly, he pulled back hard
upon the bit, sending his horse up in the air.

"Easy, boy," he said, soothingly. "Easy. It was my fault for yanking
you."

When the horse was quieted, Jim was cooled down to his normal
temperature, and he told his comrades of his attack upon the Sea Eagle
and how it had turned out.

"Senor Darlington," said the Spaniard impressively, "I will take off my
hat to you. You are a natural General. Take my advice, my friend, and go
to Spain. There you might head a revolution and in time rise to high
mark."

"I appreciate your praise deeply, Senor Sebastian," responded Jim, "but
my own country, Senor, I could not leave it for another."

"Right, Senor," replied the Spaniard, "you have the true spirit."

"Which way will she turn, do you suppose?" asked Jo, pointing to the
vess