He staggered as he spoke, and a lurch of the vessel at the same moment sent him headlong, breaking his sword off close to the floor as he fell with it in his grasp, upon the bodies of his men.
"Courage! my lady!" said Mark, bounding to the door, and speaking in the triumphant tones of success. "Their leader is slain! we shall soon clear the vessel of his base herd! Courage!"
"Bless you for these words of hope! You are safe! and my uncle! how fares my dear uncle?"
Before he could reply the companion-stairway was filled with pirates.
"A female voice!" shouted one, as he entered the cabin.
"Love and ransom," cried another, with a sensual laugh.
"We will draw lots for her, Hans."
"The captain has saved us that trouble," growled a third. "Ho! who have we here?" he cried, seeing Mark, with his dripping cutlass in his hand, standing resolutely with his back against the door of the stateroom.
"Our captain is slain!" cried another, fiercely, now for the first time seeing the body of his chief lying in its gore.
The pirates for a moment forgot Mark, and gathered around their fallen leader. They raised him up, and his head fell back helpless upon his shoulder, and his eyes glared with the fixed stare of death.