One of the others brought it, and it was held to the old man's lips. He let it over his throat almost at a single gulp. "More,--more!" More was brought, and again he drank. Three times Jake emptied that brimming cup of raw spirits. I shivered with abhorrence at the sight. "More?" queried the big man. "Yep! More," craved Jake. "Nothin' doin'! You've had enough, you old booze-fighter. "Say! How's that top-notcher swell Bremner comin' on?" He turned to me. "Let's fill him up, too." They came over to me, but I pretended still to be unconscious. My head was limply bent over my chest. They jerked it up by my forelock and looked into my face. The foulness of their breath almost nauseated me, but I stood the test, keeping my eyes tightly closed and allowing my head to flop forward the moment it was released from their clutch. "What in the hell did you hit him so hard for?" cried the leader, turning savagely to the man at his left elbow. "We ain't lookin' for any rope-collars over this. Guess we'd better beat it. Get busy with that chest some of you. Come on!" They raised their masks from their mouths and had another drink all round, then two of them, under the big man's directions, caught up the chest, and they all crowded out and down toward their boat. The moment after they were gone I threw my weight and growing strength away from the upright to which I was bound. It creaked and groaned. I tried again, and still again. At the third attempt, the entire fixtures fell on top of me to the floor. I struggled clear of the debris, and the rest was easy. I slipped the ropes from the wooden post and, in their now loosened condition, I wriggled free. I did not wait to do anything for Jake, nor yet to consider any plan of operation. My blood was up and that was all I knew. I picked my axe-handle from the floor and dashed out after the robbers. The five men were with the boat at the water's edge. Two were sitting at the oars in readiness, two were on the beach raising Jake's trunk to the fifth man who was standing in the stern of the boat. I sprang upon them. I hit one, with a sickening crash, over the head. He let go his hold of the trunk and toppled limply against the side of the boat, as the trunk splashed into the shallow water. I staggered with the impetus, and from the impact of my blow let my club drop from my jarred hand. Before I could recover, the big man,--who had been helping to raise the trunk,--bore down on me. He caught me by the throat in a horrible grip, and tried to press me backward; but, with a short-arm blow, I smashed him over the mouth with telling force, cutting my knuckles in a splutter of blood and broken teeth. His grip loosened. He shouted to his fellows for assistance as he sprang at me once more. But, somewhere in the darkness behind me, a pistol-shot rang out and the big man staggered, letting out a howl of pain, as his arm dropped limp to his side.