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Miss Pringle the elder was about to join the Rev。 Mr。 Calthrop in the
trench。 Morality； as well as misery； loves company。 But Mr。 Calthrop
saw the Misses Pringle coming。 He swiftly rose； passed them by with his
face averted； and went aboard the Annabel Lee。 It was evident that he
believed that his fatal gift of fascination had attracted these ladies towards
him in spite of himself。 Elmer and the Misses Pringle sat gloomily on a
clean plank in the trench while the dance went gayly on。
〃If you was to ask me；〃 said Captain Abernethy； pausing winded from
the tango； strong old man that he was； 〃I'd give it as my opinion that them
that gits their enjoyment in an oncheerful way don't git nigh as much of it
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THE CRUISE OF THE JASPER B。
as them that gits it in a cheerful way。 Mrs。 Lady Agatha； ma'am； if you
kin fox…trot as well as you kin tango I'll never have another word to say
agin female suffragettes。〃
But as Cap'n Abernethy spoke the grin froze upon his face。
〃My God！ Look there！〃 he shrilled； pointing a long finger towards
the plain。 Simultaneously the Misses Pringle； shrieking wildly； leaped
from the trench towards the ship and Elmer fired a pistol shot。
Cleggett beheld five taxicabs； filled with Loge's assassins； charging
towards the vessel at the rate of thirty miles an hour。
〃To arms！ To arms！〃 shouted the commander of the Jasper B。
But the enemy； with Logan Black in the lead； had already reached the
trenches。 They flung themselves to the ground and swept over the trench
towards the bulwarks； twenty strong； with flashing machetes。 So
confident had Cleggett been that Loge would not dare to attack in broad
daylight that he had scarcely even considered the possibility。 It was the
one fault of his military and naval career。
〃Cutlasses； men； and at them！〃 he cried。
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THE CRUISE OF THE JASPER B。
CHAPTER XXIII
CUTLASSES
There was no thought of guns or pistols。 There was no time to aim or
fire。 Loge's rush had lodged him on the deck。 Roaring like a wild
animal； he carried the fight to the defenders。 He meant to make a finish
of it this time； and with the edged and bitter steel。
As the women scurried into the cabin the two lines met； with a ringing
clash of blades； on the deck of the Jasper B。； and the sparks flew from the
stricken metal。 Cleggett strove to engage Loge hand to hand； and Loge；
on his part； attempted to fight his way to Cleggett； they shouted insults at
each other across the press of battle。 But in affairs of this sort a man
must give his attention to the person directly in front of him； otherwise he
is lost。 As Cleggett cut and thrust and parried； a sudden seizure overtook
him； he moved as if in a dream； he had the eerie feeling that he had done
all this before； sometime； perhaps in a previous existence； and would do it
again。 The clangor of the meeting swords； the inarticulate shouts and
curses； the dance of struggling men across the deck； the whirling
confusion of the whole fantastic scene beneath the quiet skies； struck upon
his consciousness with that strange phantasmagoric quality which makes
the hurrying unreality of dreams so much more vivid and more real than
anything in waking life。
In the center of Cleggett's line stood the three detectives shoulder to
shoulder。 Their three swords rose and fell as one。 They cut and lunged
and guarded with a machine…like regularity； advancing； giving ground；
advancing again； with a rhythmic unanimity which was baffling to their
opponents。
On either flank of the detectives fought one of the gigantic negroes。
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THE CRUISE OF THE JASPER B。
Washington Artillery Lamb； almost at once； had broken his cutlass； and
now he raged in the waist of the Jasper B。 with a long iron bar in his hand。
Miss Pringle's Jefferson； with his high cockaded hat still firmly fixed upon
his head； laid about him with a heavy cavalry saber； in his excitement he
still held his harmonica in his mouth and blew blasts upon it as he fought。
The Rev。 Simeon Calthrop； in a loud agitated voice； sang hymns as he
swung his cutlass。 And； among the legs of the combatants； leapt and
snapped Teddy the Pomeranian； biting friend and foe indiscriminately
upon the ankles。
But gradually the weight of superior numbers began to tell。
Farnsworth staggered from the fight with a face covered with blood which
blinded him。 Cap'n Abernethy likewise was bleeding from a wound in
the head； George the Greek and Watson Bard were hurt； but both fought
on。 The crew of the Jasper B。 and their allies of the Annabel Lee were
being slowly forced back towards the cabin； when there came a sudden
and decisive turn in the fortunes of the fight。
Cleggett； straining to meet Loge； who hung sword to sword with
Wilton Barnstable； saw Giuseppe Jones； deserted by his nurses； tumbling
feebly over the bow of the Jasper B。 in the rear of Loge's line。
Barelegged； a red blanket fastened about his throat with a big brass safety
pin； a thermometer in one hand and a medicine bottle in the other； he
tottered； crazily and weakly between Loge and Barnstable； chanting a vers
libre poem in a shrill； insane voice。
Loge； who had extended himself in a vigorous lunge； was struck by
the weight of the young anarchist's body at the crook of the knees； and
came down on the deck at full length； his machete flying from his hand as
he fell。
Cleggett was upon the criminal in an instant； his hand at the outlaw's
throat。 They grappled and rolled upon the deck。 But in another second
Wilton Barnstable and Barton Ward； coming to Cleggett's assistance； had
snapped irons upon the president of the crime trust； hand and foot。
His overthrow was the signal of his men's defeat。 As he went down
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THE CRUISE OF THE J