The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-07-07
THE DEFENCE OF SAN ANDRES.
Continued from Sixth Page,)


 and by the Arabs spread themselves out one by one behind every bush and stone, and began to fire steadily in re- turn. When they had all found suita- ble lurking places and got their range, scarcely a rifle-barrel could show itself above the wall without a shower of missiles rattling about it; for unlike the negro, every Arab is more or less marksman. About this time Carlos, who was kneeling behind parapet, firing as hard as he could push the cartridges into the chamber at a clump of bushes, out of which he had already seen three I Arabs drag themselves when the bull lets ripped through the thin screen, \ opened the breeoh of his rifle to cool. \ and wiped the precipitation out of his eyes. As he did so he heard batter ing sound in a transverse gully, and listened eagerly.
 "Going to rush us on horseback--the fools" he said; then shouted, Pedro and Bias, stand by the levers"
 Three men crouched round the brass gun with their handspikes. The officer fixed percussion- tube and lanyard, and \ a swarm of horsemen swept out of the N ravine, brandishing their guns and gall \ loping at full speed towards the fort
 "Crack-crack-crac went the ri- fes on the wall. and several figures rolled out of the saddle, to be stamped to death by their comrades horses.
 More to the left. Number l." said Carlos; and as he looked down the sights. confused mass of lathering horses, blue and white tunics. swarthy faces, and glittering eyes filled the " shaped notch.
 "One more turn to the screw-steady that-fire"
 The soldier with the lanyard wrapped around his wrist swept his arm to his! side. Bang went the gun. and al long tongue of. red. flame shot out a. hollow ring of vapor floating upwards where it ceased, Then a rolling cloud of white smoke drifted across the ram ! parts When it cleared, cluster of struggling horses rolled in the sand. Here and there brown arm. writhing out from beneath it's white tunic. caught up little handfuls of hot dust, while shattered human forms lay rigid. and still among the wounded beasts. { The rest of the cavalry were safe again in the ravine before the eddying smoke gave the riflemen a chance to pick them off.
 This was severe lesson, and no more r,ishes were made; but the steady fire all round three sides of the fort, as the foe crawled nearer and nearer, was worse for the besieged, It Is hard to. make satisfactory shooting with only a puff of smoke from behind a stone. for mark and the slugs whistled so thick through every embrasure that no man dared show his head above the parapet.l : So all day long the smoke, of battle. rolled across the burning sand, while. the defenders crouched down upon the hot ramparts, gasping for breath and; parched with thirst and when at last. the scorching day faded into night. three bodies hay still ot the stones be- low. and there were but eight men left "Get the tackles and lower the small CT gun into the square, said Don Ro-' .sendo; sHthe door is but wood, and they may force 1t in the darkness" So, with difficulty, the ancient weapon was placed on the ground and trained on the door, loaded to the muzzle with what eNer odd. missiles eouldfbe. founds V Whenithe worn-out soldiers reascend- y ed, although the moon had not yet ris- en, the starlight showed a line of dark objects leaving the ,ravine. sCameis now, senor. Will they not learn?'' said Carlos egss..&G.
 ssThis time they bring fire," answered the cormandante; and as the younger man looked again, he made out that each beast carried load of what ap- peared to be dried euphorbia bushes, and the plain was dotted with dark fig- ures, all making for the fort. tsKIfovy@ oNY,1ns fha and II said T0ny, AR 0 sendo through his teeth, as he drew his sword.
 With fingers clenched round their i- f1e-stocks, the handful of soldiers watched their foes drawing nearer and nearer while they heard their hearts beat, the lieutenant stooping motionless over his gun.
 For space not shot was fired-the light was too dim and the distance too great. There was only the soft rust ling of garments and the tread of pad ded feet to break the silence, until, with loud shouts, the Arabs on foot dashed forward. and the drivers urged the canels towards the gate of the fort at their fast, numbering gallop.
 The chaos converged some hundred yards away, and a solid mob Of men and beasts thundered towards the door, Then line of fire crackled along the. embrasures, and the lieutenants voice rang out above the din. A corporal wrapped the lanyard of the gun round his wrist and flung out his arm.
 There was deafening crash, with a jarring ring in it, and while the mur- derous charge swept down the foes out side, Carlos fell forward across his gun, slain by the bursting of the honey combed muzzle.
 Amid the wild confusion, gurgling and screaming of wounded camels, and groans of dying men, the Arabs swarmed up to the gate; piles of brush wood were lighted, and broad sheet of red flame rose up outside the walls. Sword in hand the commandante en- couraged the remnant of his men, who fired cartridge after cartridge until the rifle-breeches burned their fingers. Then, as the gate began to sink upon its hinges, they descended into the courtyard, and stood with bayonets fixed beside the gun, the freight shin ing on their set faces and the bright sword-b blade of their leader.
 Amid shower of sparks the door
 2