Omaha daily bee., 1896-07-19

stand By that flag, and to protect it, if need
be, with his life.
I'm not sorry now" he thought, that
they turned me out of the consul's office.
Here is something | can do as well as the
best of them"
Then he advanced cautiously to the flag
staff and knelt down beside it, shelterine
himself behind the stucco balustrade which
] surrounded the roof. Hardly had he done
SO, when a Jagged stone, evidently aimed
at the flag, whiz2Gd over his head. A cheer
followed this effort, mingled with furious
malodictions on the 'gridiron rag" and
Uncle SAINT"
Jack peeped over the parapet. In the
street below was a perfect sea of human
faces, Their gaze haG been attracted
toward the flag; and the boy had only
time to duck his head when a perfect
tusiladc of stones and scraps of lead and
iron came busting around him. Several
missiles smote the flagstaff, and one
arrested by the flag Itself, fell with cruel
weight upon his shoulder.
They won't bring that flag down
with stones" soliloquized Jack, rubbing
the first wound he had ever received for
his country, with a sort of doleful graft
fcatiOn. at will take powder and shot"
As yet the mob was not prepared to
fire upon the American standard, how
ever; and after a few repetitions of the
COMPARTMENT with gutter missiles they,
temporarily, at least, abandoned the at
tack.
THE SAILORS GUEST.
But only temporarily. Jack had begun
to lull himself into a feeling of security,
when a yell from the crowd, louder than
heretofore, caused him to look over the
parapet.
Half way up the front of the vice con.
sulate he caught sight Of a man, climb
ing steadily, hand over hand, along the
loaden piping which ran toward the
ROOF. The men carried a cleaning knife
in his teeth. and from his dress and
manner of climbing, seemed to be a
sailor. As he sluowly assembled the onlook-
ers rent the air with their plaudits.
HE is coming to cut down the flag"
thought Jack, whipping out his gleam-
ing revolver, and cooking 1t carefully
What a scare he'll get when he finds me
on guard " > They cant see him
from the %consul's Office, and ! suppose they
have forgotten all about the flag anyhow,
" Come on, my friend. I'm ready for
YOU"
on came the sailor; and presently a great
roar from the p~opulace announced that he
had grasped the parapet with one swarthy
hand.
The next instant his upturned eyes looked
into the cleaning muzzle Of an exception
ally well polished seven-shooter.
"SacramentOn' CALCULATED the climber.
His face turned livid, and his jaw dropped,
The knife slipped from between his teeth
and fell, twisting and turning, to the pave
mont, amid the breathless silence of the
crowd.
MY friend" said Jack in his best Span
ish, 81 must ask you to go back the way
you came. There is no admittance this way
. | will give you ten seconds
to begin the return voyage"
The luckless sailor took one glance at the
flag he had come so high to seize. and
another at the suggestive revolver Then
with a furious oath. he commenced to back
down the leaden piping,
Up to that time he had been the hero of
the mob. Now they turned against him,
mob-fashiOn and excavations at his coward
ice filled the air. Stones came thick and
fast, as well. and a number of them hit
the poor wretch, as he half clambeTed down
the piping.
This defeat wrought up the rioters to
fever heat. Jack, watching from his Coign
Of vantage, saw several men armed with
muskots standing in line before the consul
late.
FIRING ON THE FLAG.
lie was right. Bang" went the mus
| kets, and a shower OF lead whistled across
| the roof-top. Two or three bullets pierced
the flag; but, tattered and torn as II was,
the gallant piece of bunting still waved
seronely from its stan.
''Hooray!" shouted little Jack Talcott, bat
his shout was lost in the mighty roars Of
the crowd.
Bang went the muskets once more; and
this time their shots sped with more effect.
The p~lagstaff was shorn across as though
slashed with an axe. For a brief space the
part from which foated the flag wayered In
| mid-air. Jack leapod TO his feet, fearful lest