The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-15
CHAPTER XXv.
The Fortress Il the Rock ana s"e t'ou' ''

CHAPTER XNv. s,sl5
The Fortress II the ROCK a"u e'o '' ,'''
1t was IL Wild and terrible awa Is, l.,s
though the morning was as mn rt,a W. ~, rtad
men 1capt from their sulnbers ana ru lsll
cd out Of the soddcn tent. The1r SHOUTS
died on their lbs, 1t was needless TO
| question. rho two vessels lloa tlns s Sly.
by side In the bay and tho sWarmlhs
figures on tho yachts deck Proclt,iiI ~,
the hideous truth. They recos y t ~
Antlonette at a glance Again smoke
spra mr. from the sever, FOUNDER, and the
men fled like rabbits ms q shell shrioked
over the sand. Tho elevation was too
great It pounded in among the scrub
ana flung moro sand and branches into.
the dir. Stunned and staggered though
he was BY this ghastly turn OF tortune,n
wheel, Il 1t struck Lockburn tlint tho foes
were Wretched gunners. ana Lnen' VIII VIII
| his fair hair Tossing in the crisp brocze.
ho put his great hands TO his NOUN ana
reared !:
Get your rifles and ammunition. lads,
| Hector Give! show them the way. seize
all the food you cnn carry. y Come come!
They don't know how to shoot. Quick'
quick They haven't got at the rliles YET
Confound you. buckle up!
| LING UIn00E UuSECQ llItO 3eiiof 49,
seized all they could. The next moment
| they were 1ying inland over the ridge
| For the flrst time Leckburl1 missed Bur-
| nard, The storm had come on so quick.
| ~ the day before that he had not noticed
tho first officers absence. lie had Inn
nglned & that, after sharing sentry duty
with the men, lie had returned with
them and elected to sleep IN the pls
| tent. There was no time now to ques-
ton or make Inquiries They fled over
tho ridge, and the FOUNDER RING
again. This tmo the aim was deadly.
| The she'll fell into the big tont exploded,
and tore the canvas to ribbons. L.
6."Downl''l shrickcd Leckburn. IT'S
our turn. Spread out, spread out!
Twenty yards apart Mt least @ INC
right, Give; left, Hector. Keep under
cover and pepper thom. DO az do, lads.
Nov, back again. and don't show g
finger. Shoot for NIL you know.
Trailing his rifle tho giant began to
worm Wup tho ridge Hector and Give
hustled the mon into their positions.
They formed a line almost n hundred
and fifty yards long. They crept through
| tho scrub and ferns until, screened by
tho leaves. they could look down inc
SLOPE
2 Apparently VANDERBILT had not stlo-
ceetled In picking the lock Of the maya
| zine ana reaching tho rifles and nmmu-
1 milton. a fow shells had been loft on
tho tral-boxi Of tho seven FOUNDER, ana
| he had found them. There were twenty
men at aleastS on the yachts deck Leck-
! burn measured the distance Win ms ms
trained eye fa is
i "Nlne hundred yards" he shouted.
Word was passed and the rifles were
sighted.
1 .'Fire'' Gges q !. !5l4s. b ,
Tho crack, crack, crack! spluttered
down the line. and sithe faint smoke
| swept away. Il Leckburng yelled with de-
! light There was sudden panic on inc
Yacht, Men tumbled over each other to
rot ont OF the way. second struggling
! yolleyy was fred and then the deck was
VAN said fnIumps, !, whose sight was
/ almost miraculous, 1--WE kllee one at
Ileastee. Whatee,. dey done wild Ruby
Wherces; de doctah WIah dis flrstee
chopee bad y
1"And where's Burnand?" asked Leck-
| hurn ..Dldnt he come back with you
yesterday"
5..Nebber see31lim at allee.'
what! Wasn't he waiting for you up
i thereof" III
I. Tho Lascar shook his head. Leckburn
frowned and bit his lips, Could inc
gold fever have dragged Burnand BACK
to the treasure chamber? Had ne SIP
ped from tne.flcQSe 'fAslLS " a' - .
thought. Or had he fallen into the hands
Of the Unknown. the mysterious spectre
who haunted Peril Island?
But Leckburn was compelled to dis
miss Burnand from his mind Inc crisis
was too grave. He beckoned Give, tec-
tor and ,NTarsden.
'NIumps," he said, keep the boys
awake. Shoot If you see q heaq',
mo chopee use, sighed the La S'
<,P NOON "a
1t was true. The Antionette was nl-
ready out OF shrapnel Bay and the
silver Star showed her dripping and
" cleaning anchor. More bullets wen
whistllng after them as they slowly rode
towards the open sea- III,
HUMPS climbed the Hoof to watch the
vessels, and the labor OF TRANSPORTING
the goods over the ridge co1nnleie.o :,
They had little time to speculate OF
even to draw breath. Luckily they hnt
plenty Of ropes and plenty Of iron bars
N1umps and Marsden went down, ana
driving in the bars, formed rail or rope
ana iron along the narrow ledge Ihel
the cases and bales were lowered nhc
passed from hand to hand to be bundled
into the cave. The work lasleo 1ol
, nearly four hours, and both vessels were
out OF sight.
II wonder what the old wolf is up to?'
said Hector.
"HelI run round the island and pu
iinto tho bay in the night. expect" sale
Give ifs;s
'That's It," said Leckburn' We've
got tho stuff down, but we maven IN
lshed. We have to protect our rcars
Wen rig up a rine pit or ~ couple on TN
edge Of the Hoof. It's o nasty climb 10
an attacking party, and Vanderlet VII
find that ont II he tries to rush Us.
Mumps had hung a tough rope iaaae
from tho ledge to the Hoof. IaKlnI
spades and mattoclss they mounted, al
Joined In the task and threW,up seroh'
z trench commanding the side of tn
Hoof that faced shrapnel Bay. Their
seemed to be no other landing place J
VANDERBILT made rear attack he "ou