Page 63 (1/1)

"Up country is our only chance," I gasped, grasping an oar, vaguely noting a second figure huddled within the bow "All the loater is patrolled by the fleet, but above there are plenty of hiding places Lay down to it hard, you black rascals; you are pulling for your lives"

De Noyan extended his hand toward the east

"It will be dawn in about an hour," he said, a tone of earnestness creeping into his soft voice "We can never pull against this stiff current so as to get any distance in that tiues I 'ain the west bank within an hour, or even two, the Devil himself would have a hard job to find us"

"Go on," I rimly to my task "You know this country better than I When we reach upper waters it will be uide"

As I uttered these words, a bit impatiently, there sounded a quick step on the low bank at our right A sharp voice cleaved the darkness

"Halt there! Halt that boat, or I put a ball through you"

"Sheer off lively, lads," I whispered "Swing her head out, Chevalier"

There was a rush of feet down the steep eerly: "What was it you saw, Sanchez?"

"Nothing, Señor; I heard voices out yonder Listen! As the saints watch, 't is the dip of oars"

"Halt that boat, or we shoot!"

There followed aan aard splash in the water "Caraed flash of flaht glare across the dark waters In that instant I saw, ures clustered in a bunch One ball crashed into the planking close beside ainst ave a sudden trero nextforth a hand in vain effort to grapple his body, yet never touched it, and everything about becaone," muttered De Noyan "The rest of you lay down to your oars, before they have tiain"

So quickly did this occur I do not believe we lost more than a stroke or two, and were already well out into the strea toward the bank, where soed fro for a second volley, the others searching the shore after soin the pursuit It was a hard pull, especially uponfull sweep of the current tugging against my oar, while De Noyan headed the boat as directly as possible for the western shore The soldiers, coloo seen the fall of the black, they believed their work done Nor did other sounds reach us evidencing pursuit; for thatof the dawn