Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-09-14
TODD the Colonel looking very pale.

stood the Colonel looking very pale.
why, you old masquerader
began Willie, but Massom cut him
short.
There is no time for that sort Of
thing he said. Il put on this disguise
to pass through you blac k guards. You
will he attacked at daybrcak.
Attacked \
Yes, attacked-twcnty to Sne.'
In Gods name, what for?'
Because that precious brothcr-in.
law Of yours has been at his oh work
abusing the religion Of the country. :
Impossible He cannot speak two
words Of the language
Look here. He held out four pa
pers, printed in Arabic and Turkish.
a he spoke You remember that he
never would keep with us He would
go about alone-and why? TO scatter
broadcast these precious things. You
can't read It, hut take ms word for 1t
who can. that there is not All insult he
has spared.
'Massom, | cannot and will not be-
| lieve-
NO matter they believe and that's
enough. You might a. well ATTEMPT
70 argue with pack OF hungry wolves
As with them.
Who are they"
Half Mecca pilgrims. egged on by
their priest half Levantlne scum. ca
ger for plunder; about a hundred aud
fifty in all. II was by ;he mercst
chance heard what was on foot.
iac whole country is up against you.
l had only time 10 sen. a message to
the Consul and ride of. Tue thing Is,
how are We 10 hold out till help comes
What arms have you.'
There was that in Massom's manner
which put stop 10 all further ques-
tonIng. The case was grave ou,.
indeed. Tcpplar anl had each our
| revolver and about thirty cartridge,
| between Us. We had our fowlin-
pieces. but nothing but quail shot
| Crakc, the coxswain, had borrowed a
rife from the yacht 10 amuse himself,
aud had fair store Of ammunition
Mason had his Tranter and 4 carbnc
The mistake about biscuits provided
rs with q goodly supply Of powder
but ball was sadly wanting We man.
| aged 70 senl the ladies' 10 bed without
! creating anv alarm-for. ~ MaSspm
said. help might arrive before any as
snuit could bc maic-ani then set tn
work casting bullets. aui loop-holiny
| such parts Of the wall n commanded
the gate. which WAS strengthened with
posts, stones aad props. Mvau"niic
! the unconscious author Of our danger
slept like a child.
or course We were obliged q take
| the coXswain aud French cook into our
| confidence. and bitt rlv did the latter
dcnInrr the destruction Of hts stew
pans. pressed into the service 10 make
potasc lie plornb Ia miraillc.
II was long past midnight before We
had completed our preparations. auI
then MassOm took me on one sile
II the lives. and more than the live,
Of those poor ladies are u depend up
on Us five, he said, we have no hope
except in perfect coolncss and jiscip-
| line. III We are all 10 be- captains, ike
the crew Of Greek ship in storm.
we are lost. am only an Old Blshl-
Bazouk, and | know the prcjudicrs OF
our regulars. have not forgotten
kars. This Is no time 10 stand on
ceremony, and tell YOU plainly that |
have seen more of this sort Of thing
than YOU have. II YOU put yourself
under NV orders the rest will obey,
but am quite willing 10 serve under
YOU if YOU think it for the best. 1t
must be one thng or the other, when
is it to be-:
was half angry with him for sup
posing | could be such a b.oCkhcai as
10 set myself upon my regular rank In
such a case, and assured hun that /
would not only act under him. bIt do
my best 10 make the others 10 - too.
He pressed my hand. and that was an
end Of that question.
Now look here he sal 1T seems
To me that we have done all we can to
defend that gate. but they NAV force it,
and then lherc'd be an ugly rush into
the courtyard, which we cannot pre-
tend To face. There's no part oil the
house that commands it either. worse
luck. Supposing you were with regi-
ment, and a company Of sappcrs, and
all the other luclurles of regular war,
what should you do with that court
yard:'
told him in two words.
Exactly he replied. Get Tcu-
plar Off 10 bed. Tell him his wife
must not expect mlschlet-anyt thing
| by way of eXcuse-and join me below
in an hour
When we had stamped the last flag
stone into its place, Massom whispered.
III The worst comes, and l am alive,
will work THIS. Ii fall, you know what
TO do, and in that case you hal better
tell remplar. For the present let it
rest between Us two. They will fight
all the better at the gate if they think
We have no other chance
He told me that We could have an
hour rest before dayDreak, ana llred
as 1 Was | soon fell asleep. In about
ten minutes (as it seemed to me) Mas
SONS hand was ON my shoulder. 10
your post he said ; those rascals are
gathering.
And the ladies'?
Are behaving beautifully. Templar
| has told them some of the truth.
Where's Frank
God knows. Never mind him.
He's no use, except to get people in TO
trouble
The plan Of defence was this. We
each had our number and our loop
holes, thus:
No. 1. Templar. Arms revolver and
shotgun (breech h-loaded), with thirty
cartridges, loaded with revolver balls
cut into slugs, for want OF better am
munitiOn.