Chapter I: Front Matter

THE THIRD OFFICER

BLACKIE & SON LIMITED 50 Old Bailey, LONDON 17 Stanhope Street, GLASGOW

BLACKIE & SON (INDIA) LIMITED Warwick House, Fort Street, BOMBAY

BLACKIE & SON (CANADA) LIMITED 1118 Bay Street, TORONTO

THE THIRD OFFICER

A Present-day Pirate Story

BY PERCY F. WESTERMAN

_Illustrated by E. S. Hodgson_

BLACKIE & SON LIMITED LONDON AND GLASGOW

By Percy F. Westerman

Rivals of the Reef. A Shanghai Adventure. Pat Stobart in the "Golden Dawn". The Junior Cadet. Captain Starlight. The Sea-Girt Fortress. On the Wings of the Wind. Captured at Tripoli. Captain Blundell's Treasure. The Third Officer. Unconquered Wings. The Buccaneers of Boya. The Riddle of the Air. Chums of the "Golden Vanity". The Luck of the "Golden Dawn". Clipped Wings. The Salving of the "Fusi Yama". Winning his Wings. A Lively Bit of the Front. A Cadet of the Mercantile Marine. The Good Ship "Golden Effort". East in the "Golden Gain". The Quest of the "Golden Hope". Sea Scouts Abroad. Sea Scouts Up-Channel. The Wireless Officer. A Lad of Grit. The Submarine Hunters. Sea Scouts All. The Thick of the Fray. A Sub and a Submarine. Under the White Ensign. The Fight for Constantinople. With Beatty off Jutland.

_Printed in Great Britain by Blackie & Son, Ltd., Glasgow_

Contents

CHAP.
I. THE S.S. "DONIBRISTLE"
II. HILDA VIVIAN
III. "HEAVE-TO OR I'LL SINK YOU"
IV. UNDER FIRE
V. CAPTURED
VI. UNDER HATCHES
VII. RAMON PORFIRIO
VIII. THE COMPOUND
IX. THE FIRST DAY ON THE ISLAND
X. INVESTIGATIONS
XI. A FIGHT TO A FINISH
XII. PLANS
XIII. "GETTING ON WITH IT"
XIV. THE VIGIL ON THE CLIFFS
XV. HOW MINALTO FARED
XVI. CAPTAIN CONSETT'S REPORT
XVII. THE SCUTTLING OF THE "DONIBRISTLE"
XVIII. SUCCESSFUL SO FAR
XIX. A DASH FOR FREEDOM
XX. THE VOYAGE
XXI. THE CASTAWAYS
XXII. MAKING THE BEST OF IT
XXIII. WHERE THE PIG WENT
XXIV. THE CAVE PROVES USEFUL
XXV. THE TABLES TURNED
XXVI. THE FATE OF AH LING
XXVII. FAREWELL TO SWAN ISLAND
XXVIII. THE "TITANIA"
XXIX. THE ADMIRAL'S PROMISE
XXX. THE END OF THE "MALFILIO"
XXXI. THE CAPTURE OF THE SECRET BASE
XXXII. AND LAST

Illustrations

SHE WAS A LIGHT CRUISER OF ABOUT 4000 TONS
_Frontispiece_

BLACK STROGOFF ADDRESSES THE "DONIBRISTLE'S" CREW

A DASH FOR FREEDOM

THE FATE OF AH LING

Plan of the Pirates' Island

A. _Inner Harbour_
B. _Tunnel_
C. _Prisoners' Compound_
D. _Blockhouses_
E. _Fence_
F. _Observation Hill_
G. _Cave_
H. _Coco Palms_
J. _Detached Cliff screening Harbour_
K. _Where "Donibristle" was scuttled_
L. _Main Channel through Reef_
M. _Gap in Reef through which Boat_
_left the Island_
N1, N2. _Smaller openings In Reef_
P. _The Reef_
Q. _Pirates' Huts & Stores_

Swan Island

A. _Where Lifeboat was wrecked_
B. _Burgoyne washed ashore here_
C. _Minalto_ " " "
D. _Mostyn_ " " "
E. _The Cave_
F. _Hill_
G. _Pirate Schooner anchored here_

THE THIRD OFFICER