The Boy Allies with Uncle Sam's Cruisers Part 33

No one opposed their advance across the open and they reached the gate without discovery here they halted a minute. Then Jack laid his shoulder to the gate and pushed.

The gate flew open and the six rushed inside.

At the door to the fort itself stood a single figure. He took one look at the men bearing down on him, fired at them without taking aim and dashed inside.

"Quick! Before he locks the door!" shouted Jack.

He leaped forward and succeeded in putting his foot in the door before the man could close it.

"Lend me a hand here and force the door!" the lad cried.

Captain Glenn and Williams threw their weight against it. The door was flung open. Jack ducked as he ran in and it was well that he did so.

There was a flash and a bullet sped over his head. Before the man could fire again, Jack had closed with him and reversing his revolver quickly, brought the b.u.t.t down on the man's head with all his force.

The pirate toppled to the floor.

Jack jumped across the inert body. Frank was at his heels.

At the far end of the main room four men barred progress. Frank's revolvers spoke sharply twice as he ran forward and two men dropped.

Jack felt a twinge of pain in his left side as he advanced and realized that he had been hit. He did not falter, however. His own revolvers spoke and the door to the next room was closed.

The room in which the six now found themselves was the main room in the fort. Doors led off from three directions, one, as Jack knew, to the wireless room.

"Guard the doors!" shouted Jack. "Shoot the first head you see!"

The others asked no questions but took their positions.

"Frank," said Jack, "we want to get into that wireless room. I don't know how many men there may be in there. I'm going to break in the door. You cover me."

Frank advanced and took position behind Jack.

The latter drew back a bit, then dashed at the door. It was of stout oak, this door, but beneath Jack's weight, the lock was shattered.

As the lad plunged head foremost into the room, there were several sharp flashes as revolvers spat at him. A bullet plowed through his left shoulder, but he took no heed, nor did it even stop his rush.

At one side of the room stood three men with leveled revolvers. Into these Jack pitched headlong before they could fire again.

On the opposite side of the room stood two more men. Frank, dashing into the room right behind Jack, opened on these with his revolvers.

One dropped before he could return the lad's fire, but a bullet from the second man's revolver grazed the lobe of Frank's right ear. But the man never fired again. Another bullet from Frank's automatic brought him to the floor.

Jack, when he pitched in among the three men, fired twice--once with each revolver. The enemy also fired, but their nerves were so unsteady at this unexpected rush that the bullets went wild.

Fighting was too close now to bring revolvers into play, so Jack used his automatics as clubs.

A man toppled over before a powerful blow. Frank now came to Jack's aid.

He poked his revolver into one man's back and commanded:

"Hands up!"

The command was obeyed on the instant. At the same moment the other pirate, now clenched in Jack's powerful arms, cried out:

"I surrender."

Jack released him. The two lads were now undisputed masters of the field. They returned to the other room, pushing their captives out ahead of them.

CHAPTER XXIV

AN "S. O. S." CALL

"By Jove, Jack," said Captain Glenn, as the lads and their prisoners appeared, "that's what I call quick action. How many more men do you suppose there are here now?"

"I don't know," was the lad's reply. "I'll ask our friends here." He shook the man nearest him, roughly. "How many more men in the fort?"

he demanded.

This prisoner chanced to be the wireless operator, so he spoke English.

"No more, sir, I am sure," he said fearfully.

"Don't you lie to me," said Jack sternly.

"I'm not lying," protested the operator. "Ask Pedro there, if you do not believe me."

Jack whirled on the second captive.

"How many?" he demanded of the South American.

"No more, senor," was the man's quaking response.

"Maybe not," said Jack, "but if I find you have not told me the truth, it will be the worse for you. Captain Glenn, will you have these fellows tied up? Then the rest of you stand guard at the door. See if you can repair that outer door. Captain Jack and the others will be back some time and we don't want to be taken by surprise. I'll have a little session with the wireless."

"How about your wounds?" asked Williams.

"Scratches," replied Jack briefly. "I don't have time to bother with them now. I'll have 'em fixed up later. Now you fellows do as I tell you."

The others recognized Jack's authority. The prisoners were bound and locked in another room. Captain Glenn and Williams stood guard at the door, that they might not be surprised by the return of the pirates.

Frank started a tour of inspection with the an announcement that he would gather whatever firearms he could find and make sure there were no pirates in the fort. He also bound up the men who had been wounded in the fighting. The dead men he laid on cots until such time as they could be given burial.

Jack took the operator's seat in the wireless room and adjusted the receiver to his head. Then he began to experiment with the key.

Directly sharp flashes of light from the aerial without showed that he was flashing messages into s.p.a.ce.

For perhaps an hour he endeavored in vain to pick up a ship or a station in any of the South American countries. The signature he put to each message was "J. T."--his own initials, but he could think of none better.