ut someway I couldn't
help it. I was afraid Jack would cut the low card. I wouldn't have done
it for one of the others, but Jack, well, he's a boy after my own
heart."

Harris replaced the card in his pocket; then thought better of his
action, drew it forth again and sent it spinning off across the sea.

"There," he said quietly, "goes all evidence that I cheated."

He picked up the revolver he had laid on the deck and moved a short
distance from the companionway.

There was an extra violent crash and it seemed that the door must burst
open.

"Another one like that will do the work," said Harris, calmly.

He took up what he considered a strategic position and produced his
watch. This he lay on the deck and sat down beside it.

"May as well be comfortable," he remarked.

Again there was a crash and the door of the companionway burst open. A
German head appeared.

"Crack!" Harris had fired without moving from his sitting posture.

The German head disappeared and there was a cry of alarm from below.

"One down, I guess," said Harris, quietly, to himself.

For some moments there was silence, broken occasionally, however, by
the dull sound of voices from below.

"Talking it over, eh?" muttered Harris. "Well, I'll still be here when
you try again."

It was perhaps fifteen minutes later that a cap appeared in the
opening. Again Harris fired. The cap did not disappear and Harris fired
twice more quickly.

The cap disappeared.

"Guess I got another one," said Harris.

Twice more within the next fifteen minutes this happened.

"That should be four, if I have counted correctly," said Harris; "and
I've still four cartridges left. I won't have to reload yet."

He felt in his pocket and then uttered an exclamation of alarm.

"No more bullets. I'll have to make these four count for the next two."

Nothing appeared in the doorway again for ten minutes more and then
Harris fired again. Fifteen minutes later the same thing happened and
Harris, making sure that this was the last of the enemy, emptied his
revolver at it.

Then he got to his feet and put his watch in his pocket.

"Guess that settles it," he said. "Now I'll look around for a boat. I
didn't know it was going to be as easy as all that. If I had I would
have had the others wait for me."

He moved toward the companionway, and as he did so, a bullet whistled
by his ear. Harris stepped back in surprise; and in that moment the
solution came to him.