Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-01-22

revolver In hand, ana saw tha' al Was
ready.
Just in time, for an outburst Of howls
and yells rose on the night air. crac-
king blaze Of rife fire ran round the
bush. and while the bullets sang over
head or ripped through the leafy screen
q swarm of dark figures dashed across
the open space toward the camp.
Fire volleys by half comp'nies!'
shouted the colonel as his heart bound
ed and the blood surged through his
body.
"No. / Haussas-frep' the voice OF
the constabulary captain sounded clear
and distinct, and blaze OF light burst
from one side OF the stockade, while
the crashing report Of n volley rang out
through the darkness Before the sound
had died away west Indian lieutenant,
farther off in the gloom, re-echoed the
command, "A comp 'ny-freP And
sheet Of fame blew along the two ends
Of the square.
Before the almost simultaneous dis
charge the front Of the attacking force
melted away. Men lay writing amid
the wet leaves or crawled on hands and
knees through the bush, but the Mussul-
man, with visions Of black eyed hours
and the tree OF Sedrat before his eyes,
has little fear Of death; so with loud
wells the foe spread out and at full speed
made for the breastwork.
independent firing - commenced
roared the colonel, and after captain
and lieutenants repeated the order, the
Haussas, who, used TO frontier warfare
from childhood, think themselves marks
men, took snap shots at the fitting hg-
ures, but did little harm beyond clip
ping clusters Of leaves from overhanging
cottonwoods Meantime the West In
dams, who are accustomed to drill IN
battalions, and fancy they are quite
equal to white infantry, after a desul-
tory shot or two stood silent with bayo-
nets at guard. Next moment the assall-
ants swept at the defense only 10 be met
by glistening wall OF steel and for
short space both sides were locked IN
deadly struggle, the officers working
their revolvers until the barrels were
hot, while the troops fired rs fast as
they could thrust in the cartridges.
Nothing human could face the murder
Gus rifle blast, aud in few seconds the
foe broke away and fled to the bush.
For awhile the smoke hung heavily
over camp on the damp air, then slowly
melted away, and as the colonel recov-
cred his breath he felt his wrist burned
by the back splitting of his heated re-
volver.
THAT was sharp work, lieutenant
he said to the young officer OF the west
Indians. eve shall have breathing time
now, and then they will come back.
How have your Iuen come out of ltr''
AT least two dead, sir, and more
wounded; but the Haussas got 1t worse
than we did, " was the answer as tho
colonel passed along the line.
An hour went by, minute following
minute slowly-very slowly-as the
shadows Of the cottonwoods crept across
the clearing, for the moon was sinking
behind the western forests. The SHIN
mering silver patches on the grass mar
rowed and shortened, but still much OF
the camp lay bright and clear in the
light. Here and there a wounded
Haussa moaned family as he struggled
to repress q cry that would have been
unworthy in a believer in the Prophet,
while the west Indian, who possesses
neither the resignation Of the Christian
nor the heathen's contempt Of death,
groaned over his hurts or hurled horrl-
bic curses at the heads Of the invisible
foe.
"Silence, menr" said their lieutenant
sternly, while the constabulary captain
smiled as he remarked: '"Those fellows
of yours are good to fight, but they have
not the stamina of Iuine. The moon
lights going; still if these brutes come
back they could pick las off man ~ man
if they were only able to hit anything.
AS it is, we shall get it hot The woods
are full of them. Then he grasped the
shoulder Of his friend and thrust hin
forward into the shadow, as line o.
fame burst out of the bush and a fiigh
of bullets passed over the heads Of the
crouching men.
Without waiting for tie word No.
company of the west indians fired "a vol
ley but as the smoke wrcaths blew II
the mems faces hooking yell from
the forest told that il had done no harm
while with rattle the troops turned
over the sniders TO shake out the empt,
shells.
Independent firing - coinmence'
! the officers shouted, and the men
crouching beneath the frail defense o
the breastwork, fired at the flash OF thei
assailants' pieces, with probably littl
i result, for the forest was dark, Will
3 the line of branches which defended tn
; British front was clear and distinct AM
the blue barrels glinted iii the moon
light. From behind every COTTONWOOD
root and wide baobab trunk brigh
a CLEANS shot out. Every now and then
soldier dropped his rife with clatte
and collapsed, a moaning heap, ami
the wet underground, until the men
Q hearts grew sick as they realized hoy
= they were at their opponents mercy
n and they longcd for the dawn, whe
9 they should meet their skulking foe fac