Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-08-15

destroy them utterly. The black fellow
looked thoughtful but incredulous. A
child who has given up reading Jack
the Giant Killer" looks much in the
same way when IL is told that IL it does
not behave itself an old woman riding
on a broomstick will come down the
chimney and take ID away. He, how
ever. said that If the lady with "the
yellow locks and the cheeks like the set
ting sun" did not give herself up with
In certain time the blacks would come
and fetch her. He then retired back
ward. and the little party retreated to
the cave. Some considerable time had
been spent in this parley, and the mob
of blacks had been kept from struggling
off TO the highlands in pursuit Of game,
where they might possibly have fallen
in with me.
It was well on in the afternoon when
the fierce thunderstorm broke. No soon
er had the storm lifted than the blacks
began a determined attack upon the
cave, their idea being to force IL at any
risk. Things began to look serious II
would be little less than providential II
help could come now, 90 they must Try
and temporize.
Norah Mackenzie, at considerabl'
personal danger. again harsngued the
old chief. She kept him at least half an
hour talking. At last he begsn to see
through the ruse and darted forward 6s
If to seize her He had begun TO think
hat after all the dark eyed. sun kissed
maiden was the better Of the two wom-
en-. but with laugh the girl drew her
revolver and leveled it full in his face.
He ducked his head and promptly re-
tired, not being prepared to die.
Then the blacks made dash at the
breastwork For good 30 minutes they
kept discharging a fight of spears from
their wimmeras The black gins As
well as bucks had climbed on to the
terrace, where they began TO tear down
the loose stones, quite regardless OF the
fact that their comrades were falling
dead around them.
III StfIOeu No IL hnd oAeS
gether deserted the little band
II in a few minutes aid did not come,
there would be another addition to the
long list Of bloody massacres In the his
tory of Australian colonization
And now the determined savages
were crawling over the barricsde II
would soor be all mp with the little
party. Must Savile and Jack put into
execution what they had agreed upon
or would one Of the women relieve them
of the work and do it herselff In an
other minute it would have been done
that which has been done by heroic
women before rather than they should
fall into the hands of fiends--had not
an unexpected interruption occurred
Just outside the outer circle OF the
blacks was heard "bang, bang, bang"
q wild "hurrah"-a right lusty, heart
stirring British cheer, and semicircle
of horsemen swept up swiftly and pitt
lessly, surrounding the savagss. In an
other second certain bullets that had
been intended for very different billets
found more satisfactory ones. Savile
had the pleasure of exchanging comph-
ments with the chivalrous old potentate
who had made such modest advances in
the morning. The latter left behind
him a reputation for gallantry and en-.
terprise that King Henry VIII himself
might have envied, but that was all he
left. His many widows did not even
come back TO that spot TO gather mp and
fight over his bones.
The blacks were caught in their own
trap. The pigeon that Norah Mackenzie
had threatened the old chief with had
kept its word. in 80 far as, II it did not
return in person. it sent q number OF
hawks and other birds Of prey which
swooped down on them as they might
have done upon so much carrion-
The savages had no time to make .
stand, though their numbers were o
hundred to one. Their superstitions had
been worked upon, and decentralization
was the consequence. They backed of
the terrace as quickly as they had
charged on to it. but il was "out OF the
frying pan into the fire. !"
Then an indescribable scene took
place, for the horsemen were In among
them from all directions dealing out
well merited punishment The blacks
only thought of saving themselves, and
some Of them had no time to think