Page:Stringer - Lonely O'Malley.djvu/349

 The pirates found it impossible to repress a cheer of victory, as they swarmed down the deck of the enemy.

It was then that the fat old engineer slowly wiped his mouth, and as slowly said something, under his breath, which ought not to be repeated. Lonely, at the moment, was hurriedly inspecting his new engine room. Then he turned to the enemy himself.

"Of course you 're captured?" he announced calmly, yet mercilessly.

"Yes, you 're captured!" cried the delirious pirate crew, surrounding him.

"Sure!" said the engineer, meekly, brushing the crumbs from his oily trousers-legs.

"Men, take possession!"

Then Captain O'Malley turned to the engineer once more, his forgotten gallantry coming back to him just in time.

"I 'm sorry, of course, but I guess we 'll have to take you in tow! They always do, you know!"

"Sure!" answered the engineer again, stretching himself with a fine assumption of unconcern, which even the pirate Captain could see through.