upon them
with the same fierceness which once had sent them cowering into the
hold.

"Ye yaller dogs," he roared. "Get back! Get back!"

They obeyed--even though they stood at the head of a thousand men,
they obeyed. Once these fellows admitted a man their master, he
remained so for all time. They shrank before his fists and dodged the
muzzle of his revolver as though they were once again within the
confines of a ship. In a minute he had cleared a circle.

"Now," shouted Stubbs, "tell 'em we're through with their two-cent
revolution. Tell 'em we're 'Mericans--jus' plain 'Mericans. Tell 'em
thet and thet I'll put a bullet through the first man that lays a hand
on one of us. Splinter, ye blackguard,--tell 'em that! Tell 'em
that!"

Through a Carlinian lieutenant who understood English, Splinter made
the leaders understand something of what Stubbs had said. They
demurred and growled and shouted their protests. But Splinter added a
few words of his own and they became quieter.

"Huh?" exploded Stubbs, impatiently; "perhaps some of 'em 'members me.
Tell 'em we're goin' home, an' tell 'em thet when a 'Merican is bound
fer home it don't pay fer ter try ter stop him. Tell 'em we ain't
goneter wait--we're goin' now."

He turned to Wilson.

"Come on," he commanded. Throwing up his arms he pressed back the men
before him as a policeman brushes aside so many small boys. Whether it
was the sheer assurance of the man, whether it was his evident
control over their allies, or whether it was all over before they had
time to think, they retreated and left a clear path for him.

"You boys guard our rear," he shouted back to Splinter, "and when
we're outer sight ye can go ter hell."

Obedient to the command, the small band of mercenaries took their
place behind the three retreating figures. The latter made their way
across the street without hurrying and without sign of fear. They
turned a corner and so disappeared from sight. The army paused a
moment. Then someone raised a new cry and it moved on, in three
minutes forgetting the episode.

Stubbs at the corner found himself in the arms of an excited man, who,
revolver in hand, had run back to meet him.

"Lord!" exclaimed Danbury, "I was afraid I was too late."

Without further parley he hurried the girl into the closed carriage
and with a yell over his shoulder for the two men to follow, clambered
back upon the box.

"The boat's at the dock," he shouted. "Steam all up. G