Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-12-06
CHAPTER XIV.
FrRE y you pAREln

WbQ had given that shrek for help.
CHAPTER XIV.
sEIRE, ~ you DAREi"
Captain Griffith Alton always remem-
| bered that night as the most trying Of
his life. In those few hours of darkness
he seemed TO live ages-ages in harassing,
/ tormenting Yexations, doubts, and fears.
He did not know to a certainty that
/ the cry he heard was uttered by Ola
/ GatreIl. In fact 1t seemed impossible
/ that it could be her voice, for he had left
/ her at her home, safe from all harm. He
/ had even detailed a special guard to
! watch her fathers house, and had no
/ doubt but they were still there.
The Captain did not dream that they
/ had left their post and joined an eXpedI-
/ ton to scan the woods for the spies.
| And yet, try as he wCuldto assure him
/ self that all was safe, he found it almost
/ impossible to do so. That strange, wild
! cry, that voice which, despite the fact,
/ was wild and unnatural, had about 1t
! something which resembled the voice of
/ Ola, and he felt within his soul that it
was Ola.
It was an impulse that guided him, an
/ impulse which IS always safer than rea'
/ son.
/ The young Captain, still followed by
! his faithful attendant Jack, was hasten
/ ing over level stretch Of beach in hope
] of heading off the British, when they sud
! denly came upon four or five men who
/ were coming toward them.
I @Here they are, Griff. Now, by gravy,
/ they're our'n, or we'll hev the most tarna-
/ ton scrimmage ye ever heerd on.
It was not light enough to distinguish
! features or discern objects at any great
! distance.
The party Captain Alton and Jack had
| SO suddenly come upon had discovered
! them as soon as they discovered the
! Darty
Before Jack had cooked his gun, their
| guns were on the two Americans, and as
/ they were not more than twenty feet apart
! g volley would certainly have been fatal
( to the Americans.
/ But Jacks voice saved them.
/ blackjack HatcbetI" said one of the
men, and in second every gun was
/ lowered.
asi Cole. by ieminyl Why, blest eff it
| amt our own fellers, Grih.
So it proved. It WAS the remnant of
| their party which had fallen behind.
Where have you been all night?" Grit
fifth asked.
AUST dodgin' about" Cole answered,
"tryin' to keep out O. the clutches O. the
! Britishers. They've been all around US. &"
How many have you seen?"
We seen but very few, but we heard a
| precious sight o noises all around US.
There seemed to be two or three thOus and
on the march a Btumblin' an fallin' over
/ these rocks.
Griffith knew that the fellow magma
ton had greatly exaggerated the real
number Of the enemy.
Have you seen any others Of our
menu" he asked.
aNo; twas too dark to see anyone. We
could only hear EN- gOin' by, an We hid
every time"
Did you hear that scream?"
sYes, we did, and every one o. US say
that voice was just like Ola Gatrell.
could a sworn it war her"
How far away was it,"
Not quarter across the beach,
Did you see them?"
no"
come, let's after them; let's rescue
heri" cried Capt. Alton, trembling With
excitement.
But there's a hundred Britishers at
| least"
Il don't care if there ara a thousand,
must know if that was Ola who called to
me for help. Come on, or go home.
With this Capt. Alton hurried away
across the beach, which was mOmentarily
growing lighter.
Boys, said Jack Ratchet, in a low,
earnest, quick tone, guess he means
business. I don't intend he shall go alone,
neither. Let's after i'm, an if he goes to
Wadin' through blood to git the gal he'll
hev company"
Jack as gone, and after a moment or
two of hesitation the others followed. II
was momentarily growing lighter and
the form Of the daring Captain could be
seen disappearing into dense cloud of
fog which was rolling in from the ocean.
They ran on and overlook him.
For a few minutes they were strug-
CLING through a mass Of dense fog which
seemed to make the darkness greater
than it was during the night.
@Grif-G riff-Where are yer" asked
jack, feeling his way.
Here am"
Were comm"
@Halt-listen moment and maybe we
can hear some sound of them.
@AlI right, Griff, thatlI do, for be
plagued eff ye kin see anything"
For a few moments there was a dead
| silence, save where the sea rushed IN and
broke upon the rocky coast. Then there
came faint tread of feet, growing louder
! and louder every moment.
1t was the martial tread OF soldiers
Captain Alton knew in a moment that il
must be the me large party he had been
lodging all night.
Its them same feIIers what we've been
hidin' from, id ST Cole.
Yes, the same'uns we've been hidin
from, put in Jack Ratchet.
wonder if they have the captive who
uttered the shriek?" said Griffith.
dun knoW-they're comm this way
an I expect they're on the march to the
fort
Boys, said Griffith, we're but &
handful yet a handful Of determined
men can accomplish great deal wheI
they are combined. Here Is heap OF rocks
and powders; let us take our position
behind them, and as they come up fire
on them, charge them, and drive then
into the sea, or recspture that unfortunate
girl.
He spoke in such rapid manner tha-
his words seemed to thrill ali Of his fol
. lowers They assented, and fastened K
/ the rocks, behind which they ensconce6
( themselves.
ne Column Of men came Slowly for