He came straight for Jack and was raising his formidable weapon to strike the boy down when something happened.
Crack!
There was the report of a pistol and the fellow fell headlong. But it was not Jack’s pistol that had exploded. The boy could not have brought himself even in that moment to fire on a fellow being.
It was Mr. Brown’s weapon that had spoken.
He came straight for Jack ... when something happened.—Page 258
“Any one else want the same medicine?” demanded the fearless little man, indicating the form of the wounded fireman.
The men murmured sullenly. Their leader was gone, and without him they wavered and hesitated. The captain came running aft.