Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-12-24

thing that they could find, for Of rifles
they had but four, two of which they had
found in tho guardhouse.
Presently the slayers came on with a
yell, carrying long planks. by tho help of
which they hoped to cross tho dixie.
Look OUT" said Leonard, they are
| going TO open fire. Under the earthwork,
every man OF your And seizing Juanna,
| who was standing near, he pulled her
down under cover.
Ii was mono too soon. The next instant
n storm of bullets swept over them. Most
of the men had understood and taken
shelter, but some were too slow or too
stupid. OF these one fell dead, and two
more were hit. Soa and Peter alone took
no heed, and yet they remained unhurt.
There stood the woman laying the gun
| while the bullets whistled round her as
coolly rs though she had served I'm the
royal artillery, and with her was tho head
man, Peter. Peter was shot through the
waistcloth, and IA ball cut its way through
Soa's grizzled hair, but neither Of them
seemed TO notice these trifies.
They arc mad, baas," cried Otter, who
was watching over the top of tho embank-
mcnt. "Sec, they are coming across the
OPEN
Then Leonard looked. Tho dwarf WINS
| in the right. In their rage and hurry the
slayers, half hidden in a cloud of smoke
caused by their rapid firing, were advanc-
ing across the clear space instead of creep
ing along the edge of the dixie What was
more, the necessity of carrying plnnks
! caused them to pack in groups. Soa gave
| n final twist with her lever and waited
her hand on the lanyard. A bullet cut
it in two, but without firing the gun, and
she grasped the shortened cord.
Now for it," cried Leonard as the first
party came into the line OF fire.
Soa sprang backward, with n yell.
Again the gun Numbered out, and the
canister screamed through the air. 1t tore
along the advancing files; then, striking
the beaten earth, rcbounded and caught
those who We're following with the ricochet
and with awful effect. Whole groups
! were moved down by this one discharge
tho destruction being twice rs large as
that caused by the first shot, for at the
greater range the canister found room to
spread also the ricochet missiles flying
hither and thither among the crowd did
no little execution. Down went the men
in heaps. and with them the planks they
carried. They had no more wish to storm
the slave camp. They had but ono
thought left-thc thought of safety-and
the survivors fed in all directions, yelling
with fear and fury.
Load up, load up!' cried Otter, lifting
the charge of powder which lay ut hand.
They will try to break open tho gates
and get out; then they will cut us of. ="
As he spoke they saw number of men
run from the auction shed to the water
gate But it could not be climbed. Tho
key was gone, and the massive bolts and
| beams We're not easy to break. So they
brought hammers and tree trunk which
had supported an angle of the shed and
battered at the gate. For two minutes or
moro IL held then bepan pivn
swift, swift cried Otter again as he
dragged Mt the piece to turn Il, "or all
will yet be lost!''
Hurry no mans OK, black one" said
Soa rs she laid the gun with the help of
Peter.
"A cry went up from the slaves. The
gate was lettering, but Ii still held by
the upper hinges. y few moro blows, and
it must surely fall. But those blows were
never struck. Again Soa sprang back
ward, and the roar of the gun was answer
ed by the screams of the slavcrs rs the
shrapncl plowcd through them.
OF those who were left the most part
fed for shelter TO the auction hut and the
nest itself Some ran across to the maya
zine, but appeared to be unable to enter
il, for soon they were seen flying back
again, while about a dozen of the boldest
remained at the gate trying to complete
Otter opened fire with rifles but IL was not
until three or four men had fallen that
thc rest fed TO join their companions be-
meath the shelter Of the sheds.
oh, look, Look said Juanna point
ing TO the east.
1t was indeed u spectacle never TO DC
forgotten. Tho dense reeds, measuring
IL to II feet in height, had been fired be-
tween quarter and half n mile to the
I ST pf rho and tho wind frathar-
cd TO gale and the fire got flrmcr hold
| IL rolled down upon the doomed place in
pillows and shects-a sea Of flame that
sometimes spoutcd high into the air and
sometimes ran swiftly along tho ground.
The reeds cracked and roared like mus
kerry rs the fire ate into them, giving out
| thick volumes of smoke At first this
smoke had passed above the spectators;
now il blew into their faces, half choking
them and blotting out the sky, and mixed
| up with IL were showers of sparks and
fragments of burning reeds brought for
| ward on the wind.
THE house and sheds will soon catch
now, - said Leonard. Then they must
! take refuge in the open spaces, where we
can deal with them" and he nodded ut
the gun.
AS he spoke tongues of flame darted
into the air, first from the thatch of the
They were afirc.
I'VE must he careful, baas," said OF
ter, ''or the slave sheds behind us will
burn also and all those in them
Heavens, l never thought Of that, "
answered Leonard. Here, father, IL you
wish to do a good work, take some of these
| men and the buckets they use to water
the slaves. Let three or four men get on to
each roof and cxtinguish the sparks rs
they fall while others bring them water
| from the moat'
The priest sprang up and set to the
task, at which he labored calamity for
| efforts tho sheds and the slaves in them
must have been burned, for tho sparks fell
thick upon the dry thatch, which caught
again and again.
| Now the sights and sounds grew moro
fearful. Maddened with fear, the remain
der of the slave drivers and their servants
rushed from the flaming buildings, striv-
ing to find shelter from the fire. Some
| flung themselves desperately into the alocs
| and prickly pears on the inner rampant
and climbing tho palisade beyond escaped
Into the marsh, while some collected on
the open space, and at these the gun was
fired from time to time when the smoke
lifted. Others again ran 10 the dixie OF
the slave camp, begging for mercy, there
to be shot by Otter, who never wcaried in
his task of revenge. From behind them
also rose the hideous cries of tho terrified
slaves, who believed that they were about
| to be burned alive and screamed as they
| ragged at their manacles.
oh, it is like hell!'' said Juanna to
| Leonard as she buried her face in the grass
that she might see no more and to escape
the suffocating smoke. She was right.
And so the time went on. One by one
the roofs of the various buildings fell in,
and spouts of flame hot high into the air
to descend about them in n rain of sparks.
But at last the cries ceased, for the slaves
| could yell no more. The fire grew less