Page:The Rover Boys in Southern Waters.djvu/247

Rh Dan Baxter fighting hand to hand in a passageway leading to the deck. Sack Todd had fired one shot which had grazed Dan's left cheek. But now the youth had the man against the wall and was banging his head against it again and again.

"You will shoot me, eh?" cried Baxter. "You're a villain if ever there was one, Sack Todd. I am bad enough but I'm not as dirty and black as you. Take that, and that, and that!"

"Hi! let up! You'll smash my head!" roared the ex-counterfeiter, but Dan Baxter paid no attention until one blow caused Sack Todd to lose consciousness and sink down in a heap.

Tom had already passed on and was in time to aid Dick. Coming up to the side of Sid Jeffers he hit the mate of the Dogstar a stinging blow in the ear and then another in the chin. Dick at the same time struck the rascal in the eye, and Jeffers staggered back, tripped over the fallen door, and landed heavily on the floor. At once Tom sat down on him, pulling out his pistol as he did so.

"Now keep quiet or something worse will happen," he said, and the mate of the Dogstar understood and subsided.

With the fall of Sack Todd, Dan Baxter turned back to aid the others. He saw Sid Jeffers go down and then ran toward Hans.