St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-01-14
large, rambling. half-ruined buildings
by which we were surrounded.

didn't know till afterward. and that is
when Maj. Fortescue, who was gentle
man holding some official position in
heard there was likely to
be trouble, he sent his daughter Lucy.
with her maid and native servant.
round to her aunt at Port Said by boat,
and when the row really came he calm
" put of to British ship lying in the
harbor, thinking that all was safe.
'sBut women are only skittish crsa-
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 biz,
that the girl had returned to the ho,:se
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. who seemed inclired
to dispute the road with us. 'Stahd
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 perfec:
storm Of bullets hissed by me. We
slammed the door to. and luckily the
fastenings were still good, as we could
hear the mob hammering against it md
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 fat roof. There
was a 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 temple
place next door.
"When had shoreled about half a
ton of this rubbish on to the hatch. !
thinks it time to have spell and take
our bearings. looks round. but
couldn't see the cap'n nowhere.
"Just then ! heard his voice yelling
and shouting curses in q most awfui
manner. and running in the direction OF
the sound found him waving his arms
and stamping about as il he was balmy
on the crumpet.
"sLook at the fends!' he roared
dancing with rage. Now. Lucy. I'm
coming. dearest!'
Sand believe he would have jumped
over the parapet, sheer drop of &C
feet, if hadn't clinched his coat with
both hands.
There across the narrow street We
saw two English females crouched OF
the opposite roof. The lower part O
the building was in flames. and in the
street below a crowd of yellow mongrel:
were shouting and brandishing theil
guns.
"Now, if there is one thing more'r
another that Tom Saunders pats his
self on the back about it is that he never
loses his head. The roof he was stand
ing on had flagstaff in the middle
and in moment like it came to me that
this spar was to be the salvation o.
them two girls.
".Help me pull the stick down, Ora
hame!" l shouted, forgetting his ranl
in the furry of the moment. He catche,
on my meaning at once. and we boti
tusged away for dear life. l can't sa,
now whether the staff was rotten cl
how it came about. but all know is tina
| in a brace Of shakes we had the spa
down and stretched between the tw'
roofs. The next minute my boots wer'
loft. and was across before the chaps be
low had time to think what was ado
ing of.
Mrs. GrahameII mean Miss Lucy
as she was then-like q true woman
wanted to stand argufying with he
maid as 10 who I should take first. bu
/ cut their tackle short by seizing th'
young lady in my arms and starting OIL
Sne was true blue and didn't screech
but nestled in my arms, bless her heart
as il she was a baby.
II know / must he getting old. TO
whenever think of that time now colt
beads of perxpiration stand out on m.
face, and can feel my heart beatin,
like the rod of donkey engine.
"As soon as stepped out on the boon
a hoarse shout came from below, NOR
like the roar Of wild animals than any
thing else. Then l could hear popgun
going off, but there couldn't have beel
a decent shot in all the bling of 'em
or we should never have got across.
"Before you could count two | hat
placed the purity creature in the capn
arms and was halfway back again.
"'Come along, my lass!' said. AM
without a whimper the plucky gal cam
right 70 the edge of the roof to meet me
Then tie worst part of the beanfeas
began. Aforc l had taken half a dozel
steps a bullet plugged through m
cheek, and I spit out two OF my bes
biscuit crushers. Polly, too-that'
the missus' name-got a nasty scratch
though didn't know that till after
ward. Then feels singing pai
above the right knee, and. thinks it
all up this time, Tom, my boy. when
feels the cap'n laying hold Of me, an
we was drawed into safety.
81 thought al least it Was safety. bu
soon found / was wrong. The demon
had managed to force the trap, anu no'
came swarming up by dozens. Luckli
for us. two British tars is match 10
hundred ragged camp followers. an
we up-ended a score or so before the
lknowed where they was. l don't go TO
10 saw, though. that things wasn't looI
ing serious when. just In the nick 9
time. we heard the tramp OF patro
and the yellow chaps scooted SO quick
" that in about ten seconds ther
wasn't nary one to be seen.
"About a month afterward, when
was getting around again-for was
bit knocked up after the scrimmage-
/ was taking walk around the hosPits
when l plumps up agen Polly. Tn
meeting was 50 sudden that we wer
hcth rather taken aback. She colore
up like a beautiful rose, then, fore
could saw a word. her arms were roun