Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-02-09
THE PEOPLE
OF THE MIST
By H. RIDER HAGGARD.
copyright, 1898. by the Author. ]
CHAPTER TX.

ing first at Otter, then at the advancing
fire. Now they found tongue.
He is fiendl Kill himl Storm the
slave camp To the gates' they yelled
in this language and in that
For many it was their last earthly Cry,
since at that moment sheet of flame
burst from the ramparts of the camp, fol
lowed by the boom of the cannon, and six
pounds of canister shot through the
crowd. Right through them it swept,
leaving a wide lane of dead and dying, and
such shrek went up to heaven as even
that place of torment had never heard
Then they broke and fled this way and
that, screaming curses as they went
When Leonard and the priest had rolled
down the rising bridge, they found Juanna
standing safely by the guardhouse, sur
rounded by some of the settlement men.
ITO the gun!" he cried, ito the gunl
Fire into theinl l will follow your
Then it vas that he saw Otter left to
his death AID called out in fear. But OF
Yer saved himself, as has been told, and
clambered dewn the bridge safe and
sound
Leaning on the dwarf and Francisco,
Leonard staggered along the earthwork,
followed by Juanna, to the place where
the gun was mounted. Before he had
gone step he caught sight of the figure
Of Soa outlined in bold relief against the
background of the fire and surrounded by
many of the freed settlement men. At the
instant when he saw her she was in the
act of springing back from the breech of
the gun, the lanyard in her hand Then
camo the rear of the shot and the shrek
of the smitten.
Wow" said Otter, 1.-THE old woman
has not been idle. She is clever as a man,
that one" Another minute, and they
were helping TO load the gun-that is, OK
cept Soa, who was on her knees kissing
Juannas hands.
Come, stop that" said Leonard, sink
ing to the ground, for he was utterly ex-
hausted. 'Thosc devils have gone for
their arms. They will try to storm us
presently. Is the shot home, Peter? Then
run her out sharp, and you, Soa, screw
her nose down" Next he babe the freed
slaves arm themselves with stakes or any
thing that they could find, for of rifles
they had but four, two of which they had
found in the guardhouse.
Presently the slavers came on with a
yell, carrying long planks, by the help of
which they hoped to cross the 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.
1t was none too soon. The next instant
a 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
whilo the bullets whistled round her as
coolly as though she had served in the
royal artillery, and with her was the head
man, Peter. Peter was shot through the
waistcloth, and ball cut its way through
Sea S grizzled hair, but neither of them
seemed to notice these tribes
They are mad baas, cried Otter, who
was watching over the top Of the embank-
mcnt. Sec, they are coming across the
open"
Then Leonard looked. The dwarf was
in the right. In their rage and hurry the
slavers, half hidden in u cloud of smoke
caused by their rapid firing, were advano-
ing across the clear space instead of creep
ing along the edge of the dixie. What was
more, tho necessity of carrying planks
caused them to pack in groups. Soa gave
a 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.
curauU boQl.xVn with veil
Again the gun Numbered out, and the
canister screamed through the air. 1t tore
along the advancing files; then, striking
the beaten earth, Tebounded and caught
those who were following with the ricochet
and with awful effect. Whole groups
were moved down by this one discharge,
the destruction being twice as 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 one
thought left-the thought of safety-and
the survivors fed in all directions, yelling
with fear and fury.
l-Dtid up lbetI up. tllc0 CbtIlf liitAiie <
the charge Of powder which lay at hand.
They will try to break open the gates
and get out; then they will cut US off. -
As he spoke they saw number of men
run from the auction shed to the water
gate. But it could not be climbed. The
key was gone, and the massive bolts and
beams were not easy to break. So they
brought hammers and a tree trunk which
had supported an angle of the shed and
battered at tho gate For two minutes or
more it held, then began to give.
swift, swift, " cried Otter again as he
dragged at the piece to turn it, "or all
will yet be lostP'
Hurry no mans OK, black one, " said
Soa as she laid tho gun with the help OF
Peter
"A cry went up from the slaves. The
gate was lettering, but it still held by
tho upper hinges. A few more blows, and
it must surely fall, But those blows were
never struck. Again Soa sprang back
ward, and tho roar of the gun was answer
ed by the screams of the slavers as the
shrapnel plowed 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
it, for soon they were seen flying back
again, while about dozen of the boldest
remained at the gate trying to complete
its destruction. On these Leonard and
Otter opened fire with rifles, but it was not
until three or four men had fallen that
the rest fed to join their companions be-
meath the shelter of the sheds.
"Oh, look, lool!' said Juanna, point
/ ing to the east.
| 1t was indeed spectacle never to be
| forgotten. The dense reeds, measuring
/ IL to Is feet in height, had been fired be-
I tween quarter and half mile to the
! east of the nest, and as the wind gather
! ed TO gale and the fire got firmer hold
it rolled down upon the doomed place in
/ pillows and sheets-a sea of flame that
sometimes spouted high into the air and
sometimes ran swiftly along the ground.
The reeds cracked and roared like mus
kerry as the fire ate into them, giving out
thick volumes of smoke. At first this
smoke had passed above the spectators;
now it blew into their faces, half choking
Them and blotting out the sky, and mixed
up with it were showers of sparks and
fragments of burning reeds brought for
ward ON the wind.
1.-The house and sheds will soon catch
f5w," said Leonard. Then they must
take refuge in the open spaces, where We
can deal with them, (" and he nodded al
the gun.
AS he spoke tongues of flame darted
into the air, first from the thatch of the
shed, then from the roof Of the nest
They were aflre.
1--WE must be careful, heas " said Ut