This was comparatively easy, as Don Pablo, in his endeavor to get at Billie, had left the bow of the boat and gone astern, while Billie had executed a flank movement by swimming around and boarding the craft from the bow. This put the oarsman between him and Don Pablo, with his face toward the latter.
At the sound of the lad’s voice, the oarsman arose and turned his head to see what had happened.
“'Bout face!” exclaimed Billie, covering the man with his Colt. “If you move I’ll fire!”
The oarsman turned his face quickly, only to find himself looking into the muzzle of Don Pablo’s revolver, that nimble old gentleman having arisen
from the bottom of the boat as soon as the firing on shore had ceased, with the intention of taking a shot at Billie before he could put himself on the offensive.
Finding himself thus between two fires, the oarsman let out a yell that would have done credit to a bunch of football players.
“Don’t shoot!” he cried. “For the love of the saints, don’t shoot, Don Pablo! You will hit me instead of the gringo!”
“Sit down!” commanded Don Pablo.
“Don’t you dare,” countermanded Billie, “unless you want a bullet in your back!”
“I’ll shoot you if you don’t,” said Don Pablo.