Seeing the ensign standing there alone, Riley and half a dozen sailors came running back.
"I'm afraid you're headed the wrong way, Riley," smiled Dave.
"I hear there is a large force behind us, and we must embark as rapidly as possible." "It won't take us long to tumble into the launch, sir," the coxswain replied, doggedly, "but we won't leave our officer behind.

We couldn't think of doing it." "Not even under orders ?" Darrin inquired.
"We'd hate to disobey orders, sir," Riley mumbled, looking rather abashed, "but-----" "Hark!" called Dave, holding up a hand.
Back of the flowering hedge he heard the swift patter of bare feet.
Out of the darkness came a flash of a pistol shot.

It was answered instantly by a ragged but crashing volley.
Long tongues of flame spat out into the night.

The air was full of whistling bullets.
Pseu! pss-seu! pss-seu! Sang the steel-jacketed bullets about the ears of the Americans.
Then the sailor nearest Ensign Dave Darrin fell to the ground with a stifled gasp..