The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-12-15

lures after all, so when the ship she
was on was stopped at Rosetta, MISS
Lucy foolishly resolved to return over
land to her father. This was, of course,
the very worse thing she could have
done, and the result was that Lieut.
Grahame met the native servant, who
was looking for the major to tell him
that the girl had returned to the house
and was hiding there in great danger
when we had run on for about ten
minutes we came across an ugly crowd
of armed riffraff, ~ho seemed inclined
to dispute the road with us. Stand
clear! yelled the cap'n, as he dragged
me into an open doorway Only just in
time, for had | been minute later
should have certainly lost the number
of my mess there and then, as perfect
storm of bullets Kissed by me. We
slammed the door to, and luckily the
fastenings were still good, as we could
hear the mob hammering against it and
endeavoring to blow the lock open.
"'Quick; up here, again shouted the
cap'n, leading the way up some crazy
/ stone steps on to the flat roof. There
was kind of hatchway over the stairs,
and this we managed to clap on in half
a tick. AS luck would have it we also
found pile of loose masonry, which
had fallen from the dome of a temple
place next door.
when I had shoveled about half a
ton of this rubbish on to the hatch,
| thinks II tiT,n fn houa Al
our bearings. I looks round, but
couldn't see the cap'n nowhere
Just then | heard his voice yelling
and shouting curses in a most awful
manner, and running in the direction of
the sound l found him waving his arms
and stamping about as if he was balmy
on the trumpet.
Look at the fiends!' he roared,
dancing with rage. Now, Lucy, I'm
coming, dearest!'
| "And believe he would have jumped
over the parapet, sheer drop of &C
feet, if I hadn't clinched his coat with
both hands.
There across the narrow street we
saw two English females crouched on
! the opposite roof. The lower part of
the building was in flames, and in the
street below a crowd of yellow mongrels
were shouting and brandishing their
guns.
'Now, if there is one thing more'n
another that Tom Saunders pats his
self on tho back about it is that he never
loses his head. The roof he was stand
ing on had a flagstaff in the middle,
and in moment like it came to me that
this spar was to be the salvation of
| them two girls.
Help me pull the stick down, Gra-
| hame!" l shouted, forgetting his rank
in the furry of the moment. He catched
on my meaning at once and we both
tugged away for dear life. I can't say
now whether the staff was rotten or
how it came about, but all know is that
| in a brace of shakes we had the spar
! down and stretched between the two
roofs. The next minute my boots were
off, and was across before the chaps be-
| low had time to think what was ado
ing of.
Mrs. Grahame-I mean Miss Lucy,
as she was then-like true woman
wanted to stand argufying with her
maid as to who should take first, but
l cut their tackle short by selling the
| young lady in my arms ard starting off
| she was true blue and didn't screech
but nestled in my arms, bless her heart,
| as if she was baby
81 know | must be getting old, for
| whenever l think of that time now cold
beads of perSPiration stand out on my
face, and l can feel my heart beating.
like the rod of a donkey engine.
"As soon as stepped out on the boom
Il hoarse shout came from below, more
like the roar of wild animals than any
thing else. Then could hear popguns
going off, but there couldn't have been
a decent shot in all the billing of 'em,
| or we should never have got across.
Before you could count two l had
| placed the purity creature in the cap'n's
arms and was halfway back again.
"'Come along, my lass!' said. And
without whimper the plucky gal came
right 10 the edge of the roof to meet me-
Then the worst part of the beanfeast
began. Afore had taken half dozen
steps a bullet plugged through my
cheek, and l spit out two of my best
biscuit crushers. Polly, too-that's
the missus' name-got a nasty scratch,
| though l didn't know that till after
ward Then l feels singing pain
above the right knee, and, thinks it's
all up this time, Tom, my boy when |
feels the cap'n laying hold of me, and
we was drawed into safety.
Il thought at least it was safety, but
soon found l was wrong. The demons
had managed to force the trap, and now
came swarming up by dozens. Luckily
for us, two British tars is a match for
hundred ragged camp followers, and
we appended a score or so before they
knowed where they was. don't go for
to say, though, that things wasn't look
ing serious when, just in the nick OF
time, we heard the tramp of patrol,
and the yellow chaps scooted so quick
ly that in about ten seccnaa there
wasn't nary one to be seen.
About a month afterward, when l
was getting around again-for | was a