Glare! A strong, broad beam of light, from the stranger's search-lamp, shone across the water, then picked up the "Restless" when the two boats were less than a quarter of a mile apart. The uniforms of Uncle Sam's blinking men must have stood out strongly before the vision of those on the stranger. "You have a megaphone?" asked Lieutenant Hal. "Yes," replied Skipper Tom, passing the implement. "Run up just as close as you can safely for a hail." Lieutenant Hal waited until much more of the distance had been covered. Then he raised the megaphone to his lips, shouting: "Lay to, stranger! We are United States officers and must come aboard!" "You can't!" bellowed a hoarse, defiant voice. "We _must_ and will! Lay to!" "Take the consequences, then!" came the same hoarse bellow. Bang! It came altogether, in one sharp, crashing volley, from the stranger's decks, and a tempest of bullets hit the "Restless." "The pirates!" uttered Lieutenant Hal, at a white heat of indignation. CHAPTER XIX RASCALS AND MONEY TALK Hal turned quickly, to see if any of his men had been hit. "Not one hit, but it's a wonder," Noll informed his brother officer. "The bullets of those fellows made a pin-cushion of the air all about us." "Ready, men! Load, aim!" ordered Lieutenant Overton. Then he added, in a lower voice: "If I give the word 'fire,' be sure you sweep that stranger's deck clean." "Don't you dare fire on us," yelled the same hoarse voice. "There are ladies aboard!" "A likely yarn!" Hal jeered hotly. "If you fire you'll find that there are. Now, sheer off!" "You lay to," insisted Lieutenant Hal. "We're coming aboard." "You only think you are!" "Will you lay to?" "No!" "Run up alongside. We'll have to board 'em under way," Hal said, in a low voice. "Noll, head the men in the cabin. Order 'em to fix their bayonets. Don't bring them on deck until you find that we're boarding. Then be brisk about it!" As the "Restless" leaped in to lay alongside the stranger there could no longer be any doubt as to the grim intentions of the United States forces. From the deck of the stranger came another sheet of flame. Hal felt one of the bullets tear through his left sleeve, though without cutting the flesh of his arm. "Fire!" he gave the order. When they shoot, regulars are taught to do it coolly and with effect. Two or three yells from the stranger's deck greeted the volley, indicating that some had been hit. But above all there rose a woman's piercing shriek. "They really have a woman on board!" gasped Hal, feeling chill and sick for an instant. "Yes, you infernal scoundrels!" came in the same hoarse voice. "Oh, you'll pay for this outrage!" "Fix bayonets!" Hal ordered, quietly, for now the two boats were close together, and Helmsman Hank was running the "Restless" right in for a boarding. Bump! The two boats came together.