“Don Pablo!” exclaimed Billie to himself, “so
that’s who it is!” And he struggled harder than ever to turn the boat toward the shore, while the patrol, evidently reinforced by two or three comrades, poured a sharp fusillade in the direction of the sound of the voices.
“The evil one, verdad!” exclaimed Don Pablo. “The evil one must have hold of you, Emilio. Pull!”
But, instead of pulling, Emilio dropped his oar and pitched forward into the boat, pierced by a rifle ball from the shore patrol, which now seemed to have the range of the boat.
[CHAPTER XXV.—THE FIGHT IN MIDSTREAM.]
As the bullets whizzed overhead and all about the boat, and as Billie saw the oarsman pitch forward, he had two thoughts in his mind—one to keep from being hit by the bullets, and the other to capture Don Pablo, whom he considered as the real leader of the gun runners.
It took some quick thinking to know what to do, but Billie was learning how to do that very thing.
Seizing the oar which had fallen from Emilio’s hand, he dragged it out of the rowlocks, at the same time calling out with all his might:
“Cease firing!”
The command, given in excellent English, had its effect upon the soldiers on the shore. The firing ceased, and a voice called out: