Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-10-26
MICAH CLARKE
CHAPTER Xv.-(Continued.l
j = By A. Conan Doyle. y =


~ bullets, pinging on the hard ground,
.r cutting twigs from the hedges on
,;ther side of us, lent emphasis to our
leaders, order. Many of the peasants
,.rouched behind the feather-beds and ia
bes which had been pulled out of the
cart. Some lay in the wagon itself, and
some sheltered themselves behind or I'M
lerneath it. Others again lined the
bitches on either side or lay fiat upon
the roadway, while a few showed their
relief in the workings of Providence by
Standing upright without fiinching from
the bullets. Among these latter were
Saxon and Sir Gervas, the former to
set an example to his raw troops, and
the latter out of pure laZiness and in
difference. Reuben and l sat together
in the ditch, and | can assure YOU, my
dear grandchildren, that We felt very
much inclined to bob our heads when
we heard the bullets piping all round
Them If any soldier ever told YOU that
he did not the first time that he was
under fire. then that soldier is not
man to trust. After sitting rigid and
silent, however, as if we both had stiff
necks for a very few minutes, the feel
ing passed completely away, and from
that day to this it has never returned
10 me. You see, familiarity breeds CON
tempt with bullets as with other things,
come to like them, like the King of
Sweden or my Lord Cults, it is not so
very hard to become Indifferent to them.
The comets death did not remain long
unavenged. A little old man with a
sickle who had been standing near Sir
Gervas, gave a sudden sharp cry, and
Springing up into the air with a loud
GLORY TO God!' fell fiat upon his face.
dead. A bullet had struck him lust
over the right eye. Almost at the same
moment one of the peasants in the wag-
on was shot through, the chest, and set
saw Master Joshua Pettigrue catch
him in his long arms and SET
lie some bedding under his head. so
that he lay breathing heavily
and pattering forth prayers The
minister showed himself a man that day
for amid the fierce carbine fire he wallISi
boldly up and down, with a drawn rapier
in his left hand-for he was a left-banded
MAINLAND his Bible in the other This
is what you are dying for, dear broth
ers' he cried, continually. holding the
brown volume, up in the air; "are ye
not ready to die for this?" And every
time he asked the question a low ca ger
murmur of assent rose from the ditckes.
the wagon and the road.
Ihey aim like yokels at wappin-
Schaw, said Saxon, seating himself on
the side of the wagon. Like all young
soldiers, they fire too high. When /
was an adjutant it was my custom TO
press down the barrels of the muskets
until my eye told me they were level.
These rogues think that they have done
their part If they do but let the gun off.
though they are as like to hit the plovers
above us as ourselves
Five of the faithful have fallen" said
Hope-above Williams. "Shall we not
sally forth and do battle with the chill
ddren of Antichrist? Are we to lie here
like so many pOpinjays at a fair for the
troopers to practice upon?"
There is a stone barn over yonder on
me hlllside," l remarked. If we who
have horses, and few others. were to
Keep the dragons in play, the people
might be able to reach if, and so be shell
tered from the fire."
AT least let my brother and me have
shot or two back at them," cried one
Of the marksmen beside the wheel
10 all our entreaties and suggestions,
however, our leader only replied by
shake of the head, and continued to
swing his long legs over the side of the
wagon, with his eyes fixed intently upon
the hOrsemen, many of whom had dis
aounted and were leaning their carbines
over the cruppers of their chargers.
This cannot go on, sir" said the pas
Ter. i'll a low, earnest voice; two more
men have just been hit
If fifty more men are hit we must
wait until they charge" Saxon answered
What would you do, man? If you
leave this shelter you will be cut off and
utterly destroyed When YOU have seen
as much of war as l have done. you will
learn to put up quietly with what is not
Ia, be avoided. | remember ON such an
other occasion when the rear guard or
nachhut of the imperial troops was fol-
lowed by Greats, who were in the pay of
the Grand Turk, lost half my company
close hghtlng. Ha, my brave boys, they
are. mounting! We shall not have to
wait long now"
The dragons were indeed climbing in
10 their saddles again, and forming
across the road, with the evident inten-
uon of charging down upon us. At the
same time, about thirty men deta ched
themselves from the main body. and trOt-
ied away into the fields upon our right
saxon grOwled a hearty oath under his
breath as he observed them.
They have some knowledge of war
iare after all" said he. ''They mean to
gharge us flank and front. Master
Joshua, see that your scythesmen line the
Pulckset hedge upon the right. Stand
Well up my brothers, and finch not from
me horses. You men with the sicklea,
ne III the ditch there, and cut at the legs
~ the brutes. A line of stonethrowers
hehind that. A heavy stone is as sure
bulieJ AT close quarters. II We
would see your wives and children, make
nat hedge good against the horsemen.
Now for the front attack. Let the men
VINO carry petronels come into the wagon.
Two of yours, Clarke, and two Of yours.
LoGRarby. l can spare one also, That
makes i've. Now here are ten others of
sort and three muskets. Twenty shots
III az. Have you no pistols, Sir Ger
No, but l can get pair said our
Gohlpanion, and springing upon his horse
ne forced his way through the ditch, past
ne barrier, and so down the road in the
direction Of the dragons.
1he movement was so sudden and so
Unexpected that there was a dead silence
lor few seconds, which was broken by
general howl of hatred and execration
from the peasants. "Shoot upon him!
9aGot down the false Amalekitew they
GIqqfleked. He hath gone to join his kind.
ne hath delivered us up into the hands
y me enemy! Judas! Judas. As to
me horsemen, who were still forming up
F charge and waiting for the flank
: S party to get into position, they sat
(!i and silent, not knowing what to