The Forrest City times., 1888-01-28
CHATTER xvru.

CHAPTER xvm. NARRATIVE CONTINUED BY TYR DOCTOR:
 END OF THE FIRST OATS FIGHTING.
 We made our best speed1crass the strip of wood that now divided us from the stock ade; and at every step we took the voices of the buccaneers rang nearer. Soon we could hear their footballs ss they ran, and the cracking of the branches as they breasted across bit of thicket.
 began to see we should have a brush for it in earnest, and looked to my prlming.
 Captain" said 1, '"Treiawney Is the dcad shot Give him your gun; his own is uss- less"
 They exchanged guns, and Trelawney, silent and cool as he had been since tho be- ginning of the hustle, hung moment on his heel to see that all was 1t for service. At tile same time, observing Gray to be un- srmed, handed him my eutlass. It did III cur hearts good to see him spit in his hsr I knit his brows, and make the blade sing through the air. It was plain from every line of his body that our new hand was worth his salt
 Forty paccs further we came to the edge of the wood and saw the stockade in front
  middle Of the south side, and, slmost at tho same time, seven mutineers-Job Anderson, tho boatswain, at their hesd-appeared in full cry at the southwestern corner.
 They paused, as if taken aback; and be- fore they recovered, not only the squire and l, but Hunter and Joyce from the block house, had time to fire. The four shots came In rather a scattering volley; but they dld the business; one of the enemy actually fell, and the rest, without hesitation, turned and plunged Into the trees.
 After reloadng, we walked down the out side of the palisade to sec to the fallen enemy. He was stone dead-shot through the heart
 We began to rejoice over our good success, when just at that moment a pistol cracked In the bush, a ball whlstled close past my ear, and poor Tom Redruth stumbled and fell his length on the ground. Both the squire and 1 returned the shot; but as we had nothing to aim at, it is probable we only wasted powder. Then we reloaded, and turned our attention to poor Tom.
 The captain and Gray were already ex- amining him; and l saw with half an eye that all was over.
 believe the readiness of our retarn vol. ley had scattered the mutineers once more. for we were suffered without further moles- tatlon to get the poor old gamekeeper hoist ed over the stockade, and carried, groaning and bleeding, into the log-house.
 Poor old fellow, he had not uttered one word of surprise, complaint fear, or even acquiescence, from the beginning of our troubles till now, when we had lain him down in the log-house to die. He had lain like a Trojan behind his mattress in the gallery; he had followed every order silent y, doggedly, and well; he was lhe oldest of our party by score of years; and now sul- len. old serviceable servant, it was he that was to die.
 The squlre dropped down beside him on his knees and kissed his hand, rying like a child.
 Be going, doctor?' he asked.
 Tom, my man." said l, you're D home."
 ''l wish had had lick at them with the gun first" he replied
 Tom" said the squire, 'say you forgive me, won't you?'
 Would that be respectful like, from me to you, squre%' was the answer. "Howso- ever, so be it. amenw
 After little while of silence, he said he thought somebody might read prayer. its the custom, sir,' he added, apologeti- cally. And not long after, without another word, he passed away.
 In the meantime the captain, whom l had observed to be wonderfully swollen about the chest and pockets, had turned out a great many various stores-the British col ors, a Bible, coil of stoutish rope, pen, ink, the log book, and pounds of tobacco. He had found longish fir tree lying feled and cleared in the inclosure, and. with the help of Hunter, he had set it up at the corner of the log-house where the trunks crossed and made an ange. Then, climbing on the roof, he had with his own hand bent and run up the colors.
 This seemed nightly to relieve him. He re-entered the log-house and set about counting ID the stores. as If nothing else ex- isted. But he had an eye on Toms passage for all that; and as soon ss all was over, came forward with another flag, and rever- ently spread it on the body.
 Don't you take on, sir" he said, shaking the squire's hand. "Al's well with him; no fear for hand that's been sho' down in his duty to captain and owner It mayn't be good divinity, but it's a fact
 Then he pulled me aside.
 '.Dr. Liyesey," he said, Sin how many weeks do you and squire expect the con sortY'
 told him it was question, not of weeks, but of months; that if we were not back by the end of August, Blandly was to send to find us; but neither sooner nor later. You can calculate for yourself," l said.
 Why, yes" returned the captain, scratch ing his head, land making large allow ance sir, for all the gifts of Providence, l should say we were pretty close hauled"
 "How do you meang" 1 asked.
 Its pity. sir, we lost that second load. That's what mean," replied the captain. "As for powder and shot, we'll do. But the rations are short very short--so short. Dr. Livesey. that we're, perhaps, as well with out that extra mouth"
 And he pointed to the dead body under the flag
 Just then, with roar and whistle. . round shot passed high above the roof of tho log house and pumped far beyond us in tho wood.
 "Ohop' said the captain. ''Blaxe away You've little enough powder already, my lads"
 At the second trial. the aim was better, and the ball descended inside the stockade. scattering cloud of sand, but doing no further damage.
 Captain" said the squire, "the house is quite invisible from the ship. It must be the flag they are aiming at Would it not be wiser to take it in?''
 "Strike my colorsp' cried the captain. "No, sir, not I ' and, as soon as he had said the words think we all agreed with him. For 1t was not only piece of stout, seaman ly good feeling; it was good policy besides, and showed our enemies that we despised their cannonade.
 All through the evening they kept thun- dering away. Ball after ball flew ever oi fell short. or kicked up the sand in the in closure; but they had to lire 50 high that the shot fell dead and buried itself in the sofl sand. We had no riochct to fear; anc though one popped in through the roof oi the log-houss and out again through the floor, we soon got used to that sort of horse
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