The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-07-27

SuI3eHlY, az WIN the pTaT'I'Ii tx
err perception he watched the gl,amIu
eyes before him. he raw their rurrs~
charge. and then he raw gr felt tina
the priest was about 70 throw the KNIFE
His hand WAS Taised, aud his finger
lessened their hold upon the blade. an,
then Enc saw fam. a loud report RAM
through the room, and Chalpa dr0pIs,
the knife and fell prone upon his face
He rose Ia moment to hi- knees III Z
cOnYulsive fort and strained ever,
muscle - ga'r his feet Hl- bod swavc,
forward TIM 9; then. with his empty
hands reaching forward with a wild
cintchlng mD,iou, he FIJI On his far.
again, dead
Jan-Ila stD"d III the pr9Hay with tns
smoking riff" ia his hand and ii smile 81
mixed wonder and c"rnplaceucy on hl-
face.
'iOu have killed hinr' cried Enc ~
he placed the now unconscious girl upuu
his bed
'Ies, said Listah, appearing behind
Jan-lla and looking soInewhat askancr
at the rlie. HE would have killed yOu.
He deserved his death; 1t is Justice"
Thanks to the gods. intcrpDsed Jan
lila, ''he Is now out II the way. can
breathe easter
Eric cut the bonds that confined Kul-
cans limbs. and az he did 80 .Jan-ila
cried out:
Some one rOmce!"
As he spoke Tepelpcc stood in the
doorway. and after giving one look at
the PROSTATE form Of hi. dead accom-
plIce tHrnA and was lost III the dark
ness Llstah called 10 him, but received
no answer; they only heard his rapid
FOOTBALLS as he hurried toward the city.
''lle has gone to get help" said Jan
lila. I'VE may have 10 defend ourselves
until we can summon our own forces.
/ will 20 to the city and arouse our
friends"
"No, let me co." suggested Listah.
81 am too old TO be Of M much use here
as yOu."
Yes, Listah can co." said Eric. "He
can best serve us SO, and meanwhile if
we have to fight we can hold this place
against IL thousand until he brings help"
Listah departed Immediately. They
carried the corpse Of Chalpa out and Land
it upon IA blanket
Now for preparations" cried Eric.
First let us wet down the roof, for if
they fight us they may try to fire that
first"
This they set about doing at once. AS
they worked they heard sounds in the
city which told them that the people
had been aroused by the rifle shot They
could SEQ lights moving upon the roofs
and hear the shouts Of tho people. A
little later they saw ii group approach
ing the house which was now to be a
fortress. 1t WAS too dark to distinguish
the features of those approaching, and
they retired within doors to await them.
The group halted within hundred
yards OF the house, and the watchers
heard them COnversing in low tones
Shortly afterward another and Iarper
party appeared and joined forces with
those already upon the ground. Eric
began to feel that they were really be-
sieged. No move was made bv the
enemy, however. and he concluded that
they were awaiting the light of dav to
begin operations. 1t was now about two
O'Clock III the morning. Leila had re-
covered consciousness and had been SO
Gained by the presence of her lover and
brother that she had sunk to sleep,
Eric's own eyes were heavy, for he had
not slept for two nights. Jan-ila, who
was Ia fresh looking as a boy and as ,,
wakeful rs cat, whispered to him
when they had grown tired of watching
and waiting for some action on the part
of the besiegers:
Lie down, master; you and Kulcan
both need rest, and | will watch them.
III anything happens | will awaken you
at once"
Realizing the need of rest, Eric felt {
the force Of this advice, and after a few
words OF caution to their sentinel threw
himself upon his bearskin. Kulcan
stretched himself beside his sister, and q
In very few minutes they were both |
soundly sleeping. Jan-ila sat upon the !
d0orslll, with his eyes fixed upon the now
silent forces of the enemy. He felt l
rather than saw that there were ewes in [
the darkness watching him, also closer 0
perhaps than he imagined, and he inyol
unfairly drew indoors as he specialized
upon an unseen enemy piercing him with p
stone tipped spear or arrow. q
Nothing occurred, however, and at D
last the nights intense blackness began C
slowly to give way to the gray dawn. n
He awoke Eric and Kulcan. and they a
the array before them with re
different feelings. W
Eric measured the forces with a cool.
calculating eye. He knew that his re- Il
Volyer and rifle We're equal to the task st
II defending his fortress, but he did not a
relish the idea of Strengthening these n
human beings, and he still hoped Chat IL
hey were there only to parley with him al
md not to avenge Chalpa's death. To
an-lla he assigned the rifle, warning u
him not to fire until he was ordered al
The youth was most bloodthirstv; he IL
wanted to NOW down whole rows of the w
nemy at ence and dispense them before III
hey could begin the attack, but Eric al
bowed him the folly of the proceed to
ng. w
They could see that the Atzlans were sp
among themselves, debating lie!
erhaps the method or propriety of an at he
ack, but 1t was impossible to hear what tn
vas being said. TWAS now light enough Ca
see also that there were hundreds of hi
RESTS IN the horde, and that they were 10
ne leaders. As yet the enemy had not
een the beseiged at all and knew not di
ow many were in the house. When it tn
rev lighter they moved up the slope W.
nd halted again, forming in great be
about forty feet away. Te-
elpec, with great ak and rude sort Sc;
shield, was evidently in command. be
le was to the fore few feet, and when, CO
moment after they had halted, Eric an
mt Jan-ila out to speak to them he ag
used shout of angry defiance. Jan-ila the
'ok no notice of him, but stood in an he
'titude of semiridiculous dignity, with
most elaborate smile of derision and giN
'ntempt on his face, awaiting silence in
begin his speech. The shouts and req
urmurs subsiding quickly, he let his of
lze wander along the line and began: Pie
"How long, o friends, have the people Low
Atzlan followed the leadership of Te- his
'lpec the Polecat? 1t is new thing to cal
g to see him in tho mort of , ol;of,