St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1893-01-28

He had dropped his cutlass as h
jumped, and when he felt the pisto
whipped straight around and laid hol,
OF me, roaring out an oath, and at tina
either my courage came again or grey
SO much afraid, as came to the sam
thing, for gave a shrek and shot hin
IN the midst of the body. He gave th,
most horrible, ugly groan and fell to th,
floor. The foot of second fellow, who's.
legs We're dangling through the sky
light, struck me at the same time upo1
/ the head, and at that snatched another
pistol and shot this one through tIat
thigh, SO that he slipped through an6
tulnbled in lump on his companion's
body There was no talk of missing any
| more than there was time to aim.
cfapped the muzzle to the very place and
fred.
| might have stood and stared at them
Tor long, but | heard Alan shout as il
for help, and that brought me to m,
senses.
He had kept the door SO long; but one
OF the sea1nen, while he was engaged
with others, had run in under his guard
ana caught him about the body. Alan
was dlrking him with his left hand, but
the fellow clung like a leech. Another
haa broken in and had his cutlas~
raised. The door was thronged with
their faces. / thought we were lost,
and catching up my cutlass fell on them
in flank.
Rpt had no time to be Of help. The
wrestler dropped at last, and AlaI
leaping back to get his distance, ran
upon the others like a bull, roaring as
ne went. They broke before him like
water, turning and running, and falling
one against another IN their haste. The
sword in his hands flashed like quick
silver into the huddle of our fleeing enc.
mics, and at every flash there came the
scream of man hurt. | was still
thinking we were lost, when 10. they
We're all gone, and Alan was driving
them along the deck as a sheep dog
chases sheep.
Yet he was no sooner out than he was
back again, being as cautious as he was
brave, and meanwhile the seamen COZ
tlnued running and crying out as if he
was still behind them, and we heard
them tumble one upon another in the
forecastle and clap to the hatch upon
the top.
The roundhouse was like o shambles:
three were dead inside, another lay il,
his death agony across the threshold.
and there We're Alan and victorious
and unhurt.
He came up to me with open arms
Come to my ar1nsr' he cried, and EN-
braced and kissed me hard upon both
cheeks. David" said he. II love you
like a brother. And, oh, man. he cried
in a kind of ecstasy, s.am nae bonny
fghterp'
4 Thereupon he turned to the four enc.
mics, passed his sword clean through
each Of them and tumbled them out of
doors one after the other. AS he did SC
he kept humming and singing and whis.
ting to himself, like a man trying to
recan an air. only what he was trying
was to make one. All the while the
flush was in his face and his eyes wele
as bright as a five -year-old child's with
a new toy. And presently he sat down
upon the table, sword in hand; the air
that he was making ali the time began
to run little clearer and then clearer
still. and then out he burst with great
voice into Gaelic song.
In the meanwhile, what with the long
suspense of the waiting, and the scurry
and strain Of our two spurts Of fighting.
and more than all, the horror / had of |
some Of my own share in it, the thing
was no sooner over than was glad &c
stagger to seat. There was that tight
ness on my chest that could hardly |
the thought of the two men
had shot sat upon me like nightmare,
and all upon sudden, and before had
a guess of what was coming, / began to
sob and cry like any child.
Alan clapped my shoulder and said
was brave lad, and wanted nothing
but a sleep.
I'll take the first watch" said he.
''Ye've done well by me, David, first
and last, and wouldn't lose you for all
nor for Breadalbane. .
So he made up my bed on the floor
and took the first spell, pistol in hand
md sword on knee; three hours by the
captains watch upon the wall. Then
be reused me up and / took my tur1l Of
three hours, before the end of which it
was broad day and very quiet morn
ing, with a smooth, rolling sea that
tossed the ship and made the blood rui.
10 and fro on the roundhouse floor, and
! heavy rain that drummed upon the
.oof. All my watch there was nothing
stirring, and by the banging Of the Eeim
knew they had even no one at tile
Her.
indeed, as learned afterward. there
we're SO many of them hurt or dead. ard
he rest in so Ill a temper, that Mr.. Riach
md the captain had to take turn and
urn in, like Alan and me, or the brig
night have gone ashore and nobody thol
wiser. It was a mercy the night hat!
allen so still, for the wind had gone
lown as soon as the rain began. Even
IS it was / judged by the wailing of
sreat number of gulls that went crying
nd fishing around the ship that she
must have drifted pretty near the coast
II on4 of the islands of the Hebrides,
nd at last. looking out of the door OF
he roundhouse, saw the great stone
ills of Skye on the right hand and a
title more astern the strange Isle Of
sum.
CHAPTER N.
THE CAPTAIN KNUcKLEs UNDER.
Alan and 1 sat down to breakfast