Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-10-21


/ turned back to our loophole-I think
neither of us could have looked the
other in the face just then for our
| life's ransom.
Suddenly shout from the men at
the opposite loophole, followed by the
crack of their rifles, took us over to
them. The gun on their side had been
run out, as the Major predicted. Two
of the gunners had already fallen.
Two more rolled over lifeless as the
gun was brought into position. The
man who was pointing it fell by Major
| Gardeners hand.
"tQuick! Ives he cried; the man
with the match
81 obeyed, but only succeeded in
winging him. His right arm dropped
az his side, but, with defiant yell, he
snatched at the match with his left
and fired. There was deafening re-
pert and crash of wood, followed by
such howl of triumph as might have
come from the Threats of legion of
fiends.
"'To the stairs!' shouted the Major,
heading the rapid descent.
eve formed on the bottom steps,
| two abreast-just in time. On they
| came with q rush, leaping and yelling;
down they went before our fire. Twice
we repulsed them, but each time the
sea of dark, demoniac faces surged in
again. On they came, leaping over
the bodies Of their fallen comrades, on
to the very stairs where we stood.
THE fight was a sharp and a terrible
one. We fought as men are likely to
| fight in such case, but we were out
numbered completely. Three of us fell.
All of us were badly wounded. Every
step of that winding stair was slippery
with our blood Inch by inch, we
fought our way back to the landing
those that were left of us, four white
men and two Sikhs.
| con the threshold we paused a mo-
ment, and in obedience to the Majors
command emptied our last volley at
the crowd. They cleared back space,
tumbling over one another, and we
managed to close the door and drag
the bars across. Then, as they rushed
up again, on the other side, battering
at the wood with horrid imprecations,
we leaned against the walls, utterly
spent Our ammunition was gone; we
were all in sorry plight. One of the
Sikhs had sunk down half-insensible;
the Mayor supported himself against
the door, in little better case.
"He pulled himself together with an
effort, looked around at us with sad
smile, which had yet something of
pride in it, and then he called out for
Mrs. Reeves. He stood there, lingering
his pistol nervously, his brave old face
working. / have always thought that
he meant to shoot her down as she
turned the corner, to save her the tor
turing minute of anticipation, but she
must have been near at hand, for when
he looked up she was standing on the
bottom step-Waiting!
| II can never forget that weirdly ter
rible scene 1t is fixed indelibly on my
brain. The crashing blows laundering
on the door, the Internal yelling of the
fiends outside of it, the gloomy land
ing, with the fierce sunlight filtering
| through the narrow loopholes, the
handful of desperate, doomed men,
wounded and unsightly, the swarthy
faces of the Sikhs, and, in the midst of
| it all, that fair young woman, her
white dress torn and draggled and
soiled with smoke and blood, her face
utterly calm-standing there, without
a trace of fear, waiting for her death.
''I am quite ready, Major she said
simply.
'The men caught their breath sharp
1y One of them, a big Irishman, gave
a loud sob and crossed himself. The
Major could not speak. He made her
low bow-then, raising his weapon,
he shot her through the heart. The
next moment he fell himself, as the
door burst open and the horde rushed
in. The rest you know.
eft is not story to talk about.
never told it before for that reason;
but what Bryce said tonight made
my blood boil, and-Why, Bryce!
Bryce Surely, my dear fellow, you
don't think I meant"
Ives rose abruptly from his chair
and hurried round the table to his
host
The other men, whose attention had
been riveted on the story, followed his
movements with startled eyes; then
they got up, too, and crowded round in
CONSERVATION.
Bryce had dropped forward with his
arms on the table, his face buried in
his hands. His breath came and went
in long, shuddering sobs that shook
his whole frame, and when they spoke
to him he seemed as if he did not hear.
His vest was disordered, as though it
had been hastily torn open, and on
the table before him lay jewelled
miniature Ives, glancing at it as he
bent over his friend, drew back with
smOthered exclamation.
"Great Heaven!" he gasped, with