he was looking
out for them in a different direction.
A flash. Bang! and the man fell dead in his tracks; while Tom gave the
other Greek sentry a wipe over the head with a cutlass, which also sent
him to the deck.
Just then, however, the felucca, which had been lost sight of so
suddenly, and which no one had seen approaching the ship but the
desperadoes aloft, and even they only at the end of the struggle--seemed
to start up out of the deep in some mysterious fashion close to the
_Muscadine_, and sheered alongside, with a triumphant cheer from the
brutal-visaged ruffians who lined her deck that made Tom and Charley's
blood run cold!
STORY TWO, CHAPTER FIVE.
CONQUERED, NOT BEATEN!
The situation had assumed a new phase.
Inspirited by the proximity of the pirate craft, with their comrades on
board, the Greek sailors in the rigging, abandoning their pursuit of the
first mate and the lookout man--a brave fellow named Jack Bower--began
to descend the ratlins rapidly, with the view of making an onslaught on
the captain and the others that were in possession of the quarter-deck,
Jack, however, following closely after them now without a trace of fear,
resolving to aid his fellow-countrymen in making a stand, although he
had given them leg-bail when he stood alone against them, as the first
mate had abandoned him at the wheel the moment the Greeks rushed aft,
and even now remained trembling in the mizzen-top, instead of backing up
Jack, and taking the mutineers in the rear as they scrambled down the
shrouds without looking behind them.
The courage of the latter, however, did not suffice to take them very
far.
The foremost man had hardly descended two steps, when "crack!" went
Captain Harding's revolver; and, reeling backwards, his hands cleaving
the air vainly for a hold, the Greek sailor toppled over into the sea
with a splash, and sank like a stone to the bottom, dead as a herring!
Another would have followed suit, for the captain had recocked his
pistol, and was in the act of taking aim, when a stern, commanding voice
exclaimed, in accents that rang through the ship--
"Hold!"
Captain Harding, without lowering his weapon, looked hastily forward
from whence this unexpected summons appeared to come; and there he saw a
sight which might well make even a courageous man quail. The felucca
had been run alongside the _Muscadine_ forward, under cover of the
mainsail, her bow right under the ship's count
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