The record-union., 1898-12-11
TALE.
JOSEPH A.AlTSHELER.


on their enemies, the Lieutenants, as
always, at their head
Fleming knew that it was a bold
plan allied to rashness, but he trusted
that success would come from its sud
denness and that he would be upon
his antagonists before they could re-
cover from their surprise and shoot
down his men. A few swift steps took
him across the room. He was filled
with fierce exultation, for he be-
lieved that he was about to triumph,
but even in the wild rush of the mo
ment and with a mind concentrated
upon the impending struggle, he OBJ
served the room again, the rows OF
wooden benches, the aisles, the pulpit
at the far end, the stairway that led
to the second floor, and the light
everything Then the wild rush car
ried his little band upon the enemy,
and, as he had hoped, the surprise of
the sudden movement made its sue
cess.
A few scattering shots that went
wild were fired at them, and then they
were over the benches and in the midst
of the triumphant combat Fleming
again he began to shout to his men
and utter oaths of which he was un-
conscious, striking with his sword and
calling at times upon his antagonists
to yield.
He found that he was opposed by
soldiers as valiant as his own Beaten
by numbers. those who were not
wounded or taken by force refused to
Low. nd y1yhno
by sign from their leader rushed up
the stairway, which began almost at
their feet, and sought refuge and a
second defense on the next floor.
Disappointment now mingled with
F1eming's anger, but neither emotion
caused him to forget for the moment
his military prudence. Hastily dis
patching few of his men to keep
watch at the windows outside and pre-
vent escape there, he sprang up the
stairway with the others in quick pur-
suit of the fugitives Rage and excite
ment blinded him to the danger of
shots from above, and Evans, as eager
as himself pressed on by his side,
while the men crowded close after, the
wooden stairway giving a dull echo un-
der their footsteps.
Lie uSHl ITOIIl the lldII6S OIL the DuIH-
ing village did not reach the second
floor, and Fleming stood for a mo-
ment or two trying to accustom his
eyes to the dusk. AS the pupils dis
tended he saw the last of the fugitives
disappearing in a small room, and then
he heard the slamming of the door and
noises which indicated preparations for
defense. A little gray haired man in
civilians attire and with a face of
fright sprang from a dark corner where
he had been crouching and darted TO
a window, at which he pulled vainly
with trembling fingers as if he would
open it and spring out.
Fleming looked quickly about that he
might seize the salient points of this
last battlefield. He paid no attention
to the civilian, supposing him to be the
sexton or some one else in charge of
the building who had hidden there in
fright while the fight was going on be-
low. AS his men paused with him to
await his orders he felt for a sudden
moment the solemn stiffness of the
place and its character, but the silence
was quickly interrupted by a beating
on the door of the room in which the
fugitives had taken refuge, and he
knew that they We're breaking loopholeS
for their rifles. At the sound his pas
sion, which had died for an instant,
famed up again, and he hastily drew
his men to far corner where the rifle
barrels, even when thrust through the
holes in the door, could not secure their
range. Then while he whispered with
Evans and the two tried to decide What
would be best to do in the doubtful sit
uation the curious silence which had in
it so much that was solemn and impress
sive fell again over the place.
The defenders had broken the holes
in the door and We're motionless and
silent, awaiting the advance of their
assailants, who still stood in their cor
ner hesitating. Only faint CLEANS of
light came through the panes, but the
eyes of the soldiers became accustomed
to the dusk. The gray haired little
man had ceased his efforts 70 open the
window and stood with his back to it,
his face expressing his fright and hor-
ror at what had happened and what
was about to happen.
Fleming heard the ticking of a clock
somewhere over his head, but he did
not look up to see. In his indecisiol
his eyes wandered to the civilian, and
he was amused at the old mans fright.