Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-05-17
4 QUEER RACE
NJ WILLIAM WESTEL.

His men tWnO HaI Deen lying dtHH d NJ
tie in the rear) stood up the archers opened
their ranks, and, advancing to the front,
the rifles poured in a volley point-blank,
which bowled the Cariberoes over like
ninepins. The effect was tremendous
The enemy, completely taken by surprise
gave way In all directions; and seeing that
the crisis of the battle had come, ! told
Tom to 90 on firing as hard as he could,
called up the reserves, and was about to
order a charge along the line, when Oliver
Fame laid his hand on my shoulder and
literally spun me rounl.
Good heavens. Mr. ErleP' he exclaimed,
''Iook therep'
He pointed to our left rear, direction in
which had not turned my eyes since the
fight began.
II see smoke" said, land some Of the
bushes seem TO have caught fire. What
them"
What then7 Why, don't You see that
the fire Is spreading and the wind rising,
and that in five minutes all the heritage
between the cliffs and Wynter's Wood will
be in a blazer The wood will burn, too; it
is as dry as finder; so shall we, if we stay
here"
"What shall we dor All, | see-the gap
in the cliff. We must occupy it at once.
And it will be who gets there first. | be-
Iieye the Cariberoes are moving that way
already Give immediate orders forall the
men TO make for the gap at once-aS nara
as they can go"
The men needed no second bidding.
Some Of them had seen the danger even as
Oliver pointed il out to me, and were al
ready Off
Fighting was now suspended by mutual
consent or rather under a common com
pulsIon; the Cariberoes and ourselves raced
madly for the sole avenue Of escape from
swift and awful dcath-death by fire. The
gap, more than mile away, was so narrow
at the mouth-hciug, indeed, for a short
distance practically Il tunnel-that it
could be defended by n handful of men
against a host; and If the Cariberoes got
there firstl
| never ran so fast before-or since-and
after my three days march was in tiptOp
condition, yet. try rs might, could not
keep UP with the swifter Of my piebald
companions. Oliver would have stayed
with me, but babe him for Heavens sake
hurry on and secure the pass. would take
my chance.
Our foremost fellows are now neck and
neck with about an equal numb 7 of Carl
bcroes, also splendid runners; and watch
every phase Of the contest with sickening
anxiety, for upoa its issue depends not our
lives alone, but the fate of an entire people.
'"fhanl< G0di They are drawing ahead.
They will winI They will winl Breed and
training are telling, rs they always do.
Bravo, Oiycrl Bravo, Wild One more
squirt like that, and"
They have done 1.-THE goal is reached
A score of the brave fellows leap into the
gap, and as their swords fash In the sun
and they turn to face the foe know that
the race Is won, the victory ours.
But the battle has still To he fought. For
the start was by no means "even;" not
third of our little army has gained the
pass; while between us and them is great
body Of the enemy, trying might aud main
to force the gap, and through whom we
must cut our way or perish. | wait until
the remainder Of our fcllows-amongw whom
are 6pi7oFer md Amyas Fane-come up.
ltIly them, and then charge right into
the thick of the enemy, sword in hand.
There Is 10 time for shooting. They fight
like fends-as ouIy men made desperate
by fear can fight, neither giving nor taking
quarter 1t Is man against man, sword
against spear, and MS we hack, and hew,
and stab, thick smoke rolls over our heads
The fire Is close behind u.s.
All was now wild confusion, and how |
personally Jared in that desperate struggle
for life-at once a race and battle-I can
scarcely tell. Yet one horribly grotesque
incident | shall never forget 1t was
burned into my brain, and | can see it
still. just us had cmptied the last barrel
OF my revolver fellow came Mt me with
his spear, which coutrivcd to catch with
one hand, while ran him through with
Ln at I al
sword, second Caliban-a hideous giant
with a black skin, white eyes and red
nose-turned round and pointed his spear
straight mt my throat. For the moment |
was defenscIcss; gave myself up for lost,
and ncryed myself to die as brave man
should. But at the very same instant a
blood stained blade flashed through the
murky mir. and striking the giants skull.
Glove II through the middle right down to
the chin, and as the wretch staggered
backward, the sundcred parts fell ON either
shoulder. 1t was htdcous sight.
Tho man who delivered that trenchant
blow was Amyas Fame. 4 few minutes
later had the good fortune to save his life
us he had saved mine
But for Oliver and his companions we
should never have got through. They piled
the enemy with arrows then charged; and
the Cariber0es, taken between two fires
were forced back, SO that after a short vet
fierce struggle we gained our point-those
OF lis who survived; for many had fallen,
and all were wounded
The poor Caribs persisted to man.
They We're the last to start and came I'D
only "a the Carheroes whose numbers in
creased every moment, were making one
final and frantic attempt to drive us
through the gap into the sea We did our
best To rescue them; but owing to the ma
ture OF the ground we could sally ont only
few mt Il time, and so failed utterly.
Though the Carihs in their extremity
fought with frantic desperation, .hey fell
like corn before the reaper, ana the fight
went ON until the fighters, looking more
like demons than men, were well-nigh in
closed in ring of fire. Tneu, throwing
down their weapons, they broke and fled
some making for the wood, others for the
cfr.
"Fhcv cannot escape, do as they wilIlr
said Oliver Fame, half exuldugly, half pit
fully. III they go down the ellis. they
Will break their ncCks; and before they can
get through the wood it will be all in q
blaze. The Cariheroes will trouble us no
more Mr. Erie"
IF we could only have saved those poor
Carlos"
Just then the fire swept up both sides Of
the zap, filling Il with smoke and sparks,
ami overcome with the heat and foul air
Vor we were packed like hcrrings in n bar
re), the pain of my wounds. and kss of
blood, | went or in dead faint.
CHAPTER XXX.-AFTER THE FIGHT.
1t is nearly month since the battle OF
Nynter's Hin, and am lying with my
head handa~ed and one of my arms in a
sling In Queen MAIDS own room. Though
conValeScent, am still very weak. my
hurts having been much more serious than
~ the excitement OF the combat had any
Idea OF. The wounded had been removed
To tairhaVen by sea. and rs there was no
pubic hospital in the place they were taker.
70 private houses, myself and several 9th
ers To the queens house.
As lie, with my eyes half closed listen
Ing to the Caroling of birds and drinking
IL the sweet scent of flowers (for the day
Is younE1, go over in my mind all that.
has happened to ME since | left England,
ana ask myself-"What nextYr | am as
resolved as ever to GO hack-it is;my duty
TO 50 back must so back. And yet. and
yet-though struggle against the feeling.
anu try to ignore it, | know that in nv
heart OF hearts do not want to 90 back.