Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-05-23
4 QUEER RACE
III WILLIAM wESTKL.

tie in the rear) stood up, the archers opened
their ranks, and, advancing to the front.
the rifles poured in 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 charge along the line, when Oliver
Fame laid his hand on my shoulder and
literally spun me round.
Good heavens, Mr.. Erlep' he exclaimed,
"look thereP'
He pointed to our left rear, direction in
which / had not turned my eyes since the
fight began.
81 see smoke" said, land some of the
bushes seem to have caught fire. What
them"
What them 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 blaze? The wood will burn, too; it
is as dry as finder; so shall we, if we stay
here"
"What shall we dor All, I see-the gap
In the cliff. We must occupy it at once.
And it will be who gets there first. be-
lieve the Cariberoes are moving that way
already. Give immediate orders for all the
men to max for the gap at once-as hard
BIS they can 81"
The men needed no second bidding
Some Of them had seen the danger even as
Oliver pointed it out to me, and were al
ready off.
Fighting was now suspended by mutual
orsr rat
pulsion; the Cariberoes and ourselves raced
madly for the sole avenue of escape from
swift and awful death-death by fire. The
gap, more than mile away, was so narrow
at the mouth-being, indeed, for a short
distance practically a tunnel-that it
could be defended by handful of men
against host; and if the Cariberoes got
there firstl
never ran so fast before-or since-and
after my three days march was in tip-top
condition, yet. try as L might, I 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. Iwould take
my chance.
Our foremost fellows are now neck and
neck with about an equal number of Carl
beroes, also splendid runners; and watch
every phase of the contest with sickening
anxiety, for upon its issue depends not our
lives alone, but the fate of an entire people.
"Thank Godl They are drawing ahead.
They will winl They will winl Breed and
training are telling, as they always do
Bravo, Oliverl Bravo, Wildl One more
squirt like that, and
They have done 1.-THE goal is reachedl
A score of the brave fellows leap into the
gap, and as their swords flash 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 be 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 a great
body OF the enemy, trying might and main
to force the gap, and through whom we
must cut our way or perish. l wait until
the remainder of our fellows-amOngw whom
are Bolsover and Amyas Fane-come up.
rally them, and then charge right into
the thick of the enemy, sword in hand.
There is no time for shooting They fight
like fiends-as only men made desperate
by fear can fight, neither giving nor taking
quarter. 1t is man against man, sword
against spear, and as we hack, and hew,
and stab, thick smoke rolls over our heads
The fire is close behind us.
All was now wild confusion, and how I
personally Jared in that desperate struggle
for life-s.t once a race and battle-I can
scarcely tell. Yet one horribly grotesque
incident 1 shall never forget 1t was
burned into my brain, and l can see it
still. just as / had emptied the last barrel
of my revolver a fellow came at me with
his spear, which cOntrived to catch with
In I Il
the other. Before | could withdraw nv
sword. a second Caliban-a hideous giant
with black skin, white eyes and red
nose-turned round and pointed his spear
straight at my throat For the moment l
was defenseless; gave myself up for lost,
and neryed myself to die as a brave man
should. But at the very same instant a
blood-stained blade flashed through the
murky air, and striking the giants skull.
Glove it through the middle right down to
the chin, and as the wretch staggered
backward, the sundered parts fell on either
shoulder. 1t was a hideous sight
The man who delivered that trenchant
blow was AmyaS Fame. A few minutes
later Ihad the good fortune to save his life
as he had saved NINE
But for Oliver and his companions we
should never have got through. They piled
the enemy with arrows, then charged; and
the Cariberoes, taken between two fires,
were forced back, so that after short vet
fierce struggle we gained our point-those
of US who survived; for many had fallen,
and all were wounded.
The poor Caribs persisted to a man.
They were the last to start, and came up
only as the Cariberoes, 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 out only
few at a time, and 50 failed utterly
Though the CaribS in their extremity
fought with frantic desperation, they fell
like corn before the reaper, and the fight
went on until the fighters, looking more
like demons than men, were well-nigh in
closed in a ring of fire. Then, throwing
down their weapons, they broke and fled
some making for the wood, others for the
cliff.
''They cannot escape, do as they willr'
said Oliver Fame, half eXultingly, half pit
ifully If they go down the cliffs, they
viii break their necks; and before they can
get through the wood it will DE all in a
more, Mr.. Erie"
''If we could only have saved those poor
Caribs-"
Just then the fire swept up both sides Of
the gap, filling it with smoke and sparks,
and overcome with the heat and foul air
flor we were packed like herrings in a bar
reD the pain of my wounds, and loss OF
blood, went off in dead faint.