were strongly barred. There was a furious beating at the door.

"It will give in a minute," Dick said. "Upstairs, lads; we can hold them
against any number."

"It's lucky they did not use their pistols," Ned said, as they gathered in
the upper room; "we should have been polished off in no time had they done
so."

"I expect they made sure of doing for us with their swords and knives,"
Dick replied, "and did not like to risk calling attention by the sound of
pistol-shots. Now, lads, how did you get into this row?"

"Well, your honor," said one of the tars, "we were just cruising about as
it might be, when we got down these here lanes, and lost our bearings
altogether. Well, we saw we had fallen among land pirates, for the chaps
kept closing in upon us as if they wanted to board, and fingering those
long knives of theirs. Then one of them he gives a push to Bill Jones, and
Bill gives him a broadside between the eyes, and floors him. Then they all
begins to yell, like a pack o' they jackals we heard coming up country.
Then they drew their knives, and Bill got a slash on his cheek. So we,
seeing as how it were a regular case of an engagement all along the line,
drew our cutlasses and joins action. There were too many of them, though,
and we were nigh carried by the pirates, when you bore up alongside."

At this moment a crash was heard below; the door had yielded, and the
crowd rushed into the lower part of the house. When it was found to be
empty there was a little delay. No one cared to be the first to mount the
stairs, and encounter the determined band above. Dick stepped forward to
glance at the state of things below, when half a dozen pistol-shots were