h the rest,
backing away as they did to the mizzen and from there to the poop rail,
where they were brought to bay.

Daniels, however, fared worse. We had a struggle for some moments alone,
and just as my knife was in a good position a man struck him from behind,
throwing him off his guard and letting my blade penetrate his throat
until it protruded three inches beyond the back of his neck. Then the
fight was over.

Chips stopped at my side with Andrews's revolver in his hand.

"'Tis a pity we've no cartridges fer th' weepin," he panted;
"'twould save th' hangman a lot o' trouble. Now there'll be a
butcher's shop aboard."

"Come on," I said. "You get to starboard, and I'll take the port side.
We'll rush them and make a finish of it. Here, Frank," I called to a
sailor, "lend me your knife. Mine's no good for this work."

"My own is broken, sir," said he.

"Hold on," cried Journegan; "we're not making any fight."

I could see the five ruffians talking brokenly together while they
recovered their breath. Our third mate was holding forth in a piping
tone, but too low for me to hear the words.

"We don't want to press the outfly any further," said England. "We ain't
no pirates. All we did was to defend ourselves. One of your fellows cut
me arm open and I hit him over the head, not meanin' no more than to
knock him out for the time bein', as the sayin' is."

"Will you surrender and put down your knives?" I asked.

Andrews gave his fierce snort and was about to say something in reply,
but the third mate seized him and stopped him. The assassin was badly
wounded and swayed as he stood, but his spirit was not in the least
beaten. He had killed five men out of six shots from his pistol and would
have had me in the list but for the knife I placed in my breast as a
precaution at the warning from Chips on taking him aboard. His coolness
and steadiness were marvellous. Not a shot had he wasted, and if he had
been relieved a trifle sooner by his half-hearted followers, he would
have had the whole crowd of us at his mercy. No man could have faced a
pistol of that size in the hands of one so quick and steady.

There was no answer to my question, and I repeated it, Chips adding that
they would go free if they would give up the men who had done killing.

"Why o' course, we ain't no pirates," said Journegan.

"Well, chuck out your knives, or we'll be for closing with you," I cried.
"This thing is over, and one or the other w