"Now, brother, take good heed, I beseech you—this is my plan. Presently the wherry will run alongside a hulk, and one man will leave the boat, mount the hulk, and proceed to make ready to disembark the captive. This is our moment to attack! We run in swiftly between the wherry and the hulk—so detaching them. Then we leap into the wherry, and our poignards must do the rest. It matters not what becomes of our little boat, a rescued life is worth a hundred such things." "Right," said Ralph, "I understand; now put a good way on the boat, for, if I mistake not, they are running alongside a hulk." Ralph was correct in his forecast; a moment later the wherry was alongside of a dark object, upon which one of the oarsmen sprung lightly with a rope in his hand. Then, with a loud crash, the light boat ran swiftly in between the two; and, above all, rang the fierce shouts and curses of the pirates. But as they rose in their wherry the twins leapt into it—giving it a strong impulse into the stream. There was no light on the hulk until the one man left upon it had lit a torch by whose lurid flame he sought to discover what had happened to his comrades. So the fierce fight began in darkness, save for the gleam of the twinkling stars. From their first onset the brothers perceived that their suspicions had been correct, for a bound man lay in the bottom of the boat, motionless and silent. The surprise to the pirates had been complete, yet they had time to draw their long knives, with which they struck desperately at their foes. It was a deadly struggle—there was no thought of asking or giving quarter; it was a matter of death or victory! Fierce blows were exchanged and parried; then the combatants closed, and the wherry swayed to and fro with a violence that threatened to submerge its occupants beneath the dark waters of the river. The first gleam of light from the torch on the hulk fell upon a scene of fiercest strife—upon men in deadly grip, equally expert with their weapons, equally matched in strength and courage. All were wounded, and the fast flowing blood rendered the planks of the wherry a slippery foot-hold. Suddenly William's foe lost his balance; in an instant he was hurled overboard, and sank beneath the waters. His comrade perceived this, and with a howl of rage he also flung himself into the stream—for he was desperately wounded, and, as William approached to his brothers aid, he knew that the end had come. Then the brothers turned eagerly to each other, and the question arose from both alike— "Brother, are you hurt?" "Not much, I think," said William. "Mere flesh wounds," said Ralph almost gaily. Then the twins joined hands and kissed each other on the cheek. "Let us kneel down and thank God!" whispered William. So they knelt side by side like two Christian warriors! Presently they rose, and now they turned their attention to the captive in the boat, who had ofttime been trampled under foot in the strife.