s Denman judged by the many faces turned
his way, discussed him and Florrie. But whatever resulted from the
latter came to nothing.

They suddenly left the bridge, to disappear in the forecastle for a few
moments, then to reappear--each man belted and pistoled, and one
bringing an outfit to Forsythe on the bridge.

Two engineers went to the engines, Forsythe rang full speed to them, and
the rest, cooks and all, swung the four torpedo tubes to port and manned
the forward one.

The big ship seemed to grow in size visibly as her speed, plus the
destroyer's, brought them together. In a few moments Denman made out
details--six parallel lines of deadlights, one above the other, and
extending from bow to stern, a length of a thousand feet; three tiers of
deck houses, one above the other amidships; a line of twenty boats to a
side along the upper deck, and her after rails black with passengers;
while as many as six uniformed officers stood on her bridge--eighty feet
above the water line.

The little destroyer rounded to alongside, and slowed down to a little
more than the speed of the larger ship, which permitted her to creep
along the huge, black side, inch by inch, until the bridges were nearly
abreast. Then a white-whiskered man on the high bridge hailed:

"Steamer ahoy! What do you want?"

"Want all that bullion stowed in your strong room," answered Forsythe
through a megaphone; "and, if you please, speak more distinctly, for the
wash of your bow wave prevents my hearing what you say."

The officer was handed a megaphone, and through it his voice came down
like a thunderclap.

"You want the bullion stowed in our strong room, do you? Anything else
you want, sir?"

"Yes," answered Forsythe. "We want a boat full of provisions. Three
barrels of flour, the rest in canned meats and vegetables."

"Anything else?" There was as much derision in the voice as can carry
through a megaphone.

"That is all," answered Forsythe. "Load your gold into one of your own
boats, the provisions in another. Lower them down and let the falls
unreeve, so that they will go adrift. We will pick them up."

"Well, of all the infernal impudence I ever heard, yours is the worst. I
judge that you are that crew of jail-breakers we've heard of that stole
a government boat and turned pirates."

"You are right," answered Forsythe; "but don't waste our time. Will you
give us what we asked for, or shall we sink you?"

"Sink us, you scoundrel? Yo