"Who commands that destroyer?" demanded a voice in English, though it had the broken accent of a German-born speaker. "I do," Darrin replied. "Then stay where you are, for you're covered!" ordered the same voice in a frenzied tone. "We're not going to have you aboard. Signal the destroyer to make off at top speed and we'll leave you when she is out of sight. Refuse, and we kill you at once. Refuse, and you lose your life." "Lower your gangway, and stop your nonsense," Dave ordered, angrily. "You're dealing with the United States Navy, and your orders cannot control our conduct." "Then you are a dead man, at once!" declared the voice of the unseen speaker. Unnoticed by others, Darrin had given a hand signal to a petty officer in the bow of the launch. "If you do not lower your side gangway at once, we shall find our own means for boarding," Dave shouted, wrathfully. "Instantly, sir!" Thereupon half a dozen heads appeared over a bulwark above. As many rifle muzzles were thrust over the edge of the bulwark and a prompt fire began. Disdaining to draw his automatic Darrin stood up in the launch, the center of such a hail of bullets that his continued existence seemed incredible. Above the reports of the rifles could be heard the voice of Ensign Peters as he directed the swinging around of the launch. R-r-r-r-rip! The launch's machine gun came swiftly into play. Bullets rattled against the iron sides of the ship. Four of the six seamen on her deck were seen to fall back; the remaining two fled as fast as they could go. Then the muzzle of the machine gun was swung, and a hundred little missiles were driven through the wheel-house. At an unspoken signal the launch moved in until a sailor in the bow could hurl upward an iron grappling hook. At the first cast it caught on at the top of the rail, while the machine gunners trained their weapon to "get" any one who endeavored to cast off the grapple. "Up with you!" shouted Darrin. One after another half a dozen sailors raced up the rope, swinging over to the deck. Dave followed next, then more seamen. All were armed and ready for instant work of the sternest kind. Two sailors lay dead, rifles beside them. Pools of blood showed that at least two more wounded men had been there, but had fled. No one else belonging to the ship was in sight on deck. "Boatswain's mate, take the bridge," ordered Dave, as more men came up on board. "Put two men in the wheel-house. Take command of the deck with such men as I do not take with me." Calling half a dozen seamen, and ordering them to draw their automatic revolvers, Darrin proceeded to the chart-room. He tried the door, but found it locked. "Break it down," he ordered, and in a jiffy the thing had been done. But the chart-room proved to be empty. Further aft Darrin went along the deck-house. The cabins of the captain and two mates were found to be empty. "We'll soon know where the crew have gone to," he remarked.