Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-04-26
treasure
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The boarders swarmed over the fence
like monkeys. Squire and Gray fired
again and yet again: three men fell.
one forward into the Enclosure. two
back on the outside. But OF these, one
was evidently more frightened than
hurt. for he was on his feet again In a
crack, and Instantly disappeared
among the trees.
Two had bit the dust, one had fed,
four had made good their footing in
side our defenses; while from the shell
ter OF the woods seven or eight men,
each evidently supplied with several
muskets, kept up a hot though useless
fire on the log house.
The four who had boarded made
straight before them for the building,
shouting as they ran, and the men
among the trees shouted back TO en-
courage them. Several shots were
fired, but such was the hurry OF the
marksmen that not one appeared TO
have taken effect. In a momen the
four pirates had swarmed up the
mound and were upon US.
The head of Job Anderson, the boat
swain, appeared In the middle loop
hole.
at email hands," he roared, in
a voice of thunder.
At the same moment another pirate
grasped Hunters miisket by the muz-
zle, wrenched it from his hands,
plucked IL through the ~loophole, and.
woth one stunning blow, laid the poor
fellow senseless on the floor. Mean
while a third, running unframed all
around the house, appeared suddenly
In the doorway, and fell with his cut
lass on the doctor. E
Our position was utterly reversed.
A moment since we were firing, under
cover, at an exposed enemy; now 1t
was we who lay uncovered, and could
not return q blow.
The log house was full OF smoke, to
which we owed our comparative
safety. Cries and confusion, the fash
loud groan rang In my ears.
"Out, lads, out, and fight 'em In the
open! Cutlasses!' cried the captain.
/ snatched a cutlass from the pile,
and some n at the same time
snatching mother gave me a cut
across the knuckles, which | hardly
felt. i dashed out of the door into
the clear sunlight. Some one was close
behind, / know not who. Right in
front, the doctor was pursuing his as
sailant down the hill, and, just as my
Eyes fell upon him. beat down his
guard and sent him ~sprawling on his
back, with a great slash across his
face.
Round the house, lads! round the
house," cried the captain; and even
in the hurly- burly ] perceived a change
In his voice.
Mechanically obeyed, turned cast
ward, and, with my cutlass raised, ran
round the corner OF the house. Next
moment 1 was face TO face with An
derson. He roared aloud, n his
hanger went up above his head, flash
ing In the sunlight. l had not time
TO be afraid, but, as the blow still hung
impending, leaped In a trice upon one
side, and, missing my foot In the soft
sand, rolled headlong down the slope.
When / had first sailed from the
door the other mutineers had been al
ready swarming W the palisade to
make an end of us. One a in q red
nightcap, with his cutlass in his mouth,
had even got upon the top and thrown
a leg across. Well, so short had been
The interval, that when | found my
feet again all was in the same posture,
the fellow with the red nightcap still
halfway over, another still showing
his head above the top OF the stockade,
yet, in this breath Of time, the
was over, and the victory ours.
Gray, following close behind me, had
cut down the big boaswain ere he had
time TO recover from his lost blow.
Another had been shot at a loophole in
the very act of firing into the house,
and now lay in agony, the pistol still
smoking in his hand. A third, as |
had seen, the doctor had disposed Of
at a blow. OF the four who had scaled
the palisade, m only remained unac-
for, and he, having left his
cutlass on the field, was now Chamber
Ing out again with the fear OF death
upon him.
"Fire-fre from the house," cried the
doctor. And you, lads, back into
cover"
But his words were unheeded, no
shot was fired, and the last boarder
made good his escape, and disappeared
with the rest into the wood. In three
seconds nothing remained of the at
lacking party but the five who had
fallen, four on the inside and n on
the outside, OF the palisade.
The doctor and Gray and / ran full
speed for shelter. The survivors would
soon be back where they had left their
muskets, and at any moment the fire
might recommence.
The house was by this time some
what cleared of smoke, and we saw at
a glance the price we paid for victory.
lay beside his loophole,
stunned; Joyce by his hot through
the head, never to move again; while
right I'm the center, the squire was sup
porting the captain, n as pale as
the other.
The captains wounded said Mr..
Have they rum" asked Mr.. Smol-
lett.
"All that could, o may be bound"
the doctor; but there's five
of them will never run again"
Five" cried the captain. Come,
better. Five against three
us four to nine. That's better
odds tina we had at starting. We
were seven to nineteen then, or thought
were, and that's as bad to bear
AIR W