The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-09


into the street to escape
Just then, in the pause that came, /
felt tug at my arm 1t was Juan.
Come" he painted, the police will
have us-let's get out in back
We slipped into the rear ROOM now
deserted, and found ourselves out in
the moonlight on a balcony. Under
meath was Water--l canal. Apparent
~ there was no escape. We paused a
moment and looked back-the fight
was going on again, but the gendarn1es
OF soldiers We're taking a hand now;
| they were trying to arrest all concern
ed, but met stout resistance.
Lets jump" whispered Juan By
the moonlight l saw his hand was
bloody and the knife was gone from
his sash. Looking down | saw blood
| on my shirt but it was not mine for
l had received no bodily hurt. The
| shoulder Of my coat, a light duck,
was torn where the Englishman had
bitten.
Juan gave q leap and was gone.
heard a splash below, then saw his
| black head in the centre of a circle Of
| big rippes moving for the opposite
side. Without hesitation l spran over
| the railing, and moment later was
swimming close behind Juan. We both
crawled up a stone step on the other
| street just as we heard voices shout
ing from the balcony and upon the
| boats moored in the canal.
| 1t did not take us long to reach the
road to the boat landing, which we
did by obscure alleys and open fiel Is,
avoiding people as much as possible.
Soon we came to the little wine house
near which our foils were hidden.
Come" said Juan, lets have q
/ drink n settle ON. nerves -
To this | assented. We were wet
| through, but there had been q number
of showers during the evening, and
! they would account for our condition.
! The blood on Juan's hand had wash
ed off in swimming, and | buttoned up
my coat
1t was now nearly midnight, so
we found nobody inside but the land
lord and his wife. They served US a
bottle of wine and some bread and
cheese. We had almost finished when
the door opened and Milano, Manuel
and Russo walked in. They joined us
at another bottle, although we had all
| had Just about enough bottles. Cur
three shipmates had been stroling
! about the city and We're now return
| ing after an uneVentful evening.
Juan and l then gave an account
of our experience. We were stiI talk
| Jig When we heard voices outside the
door opened, ana who should appear
| hat my riotous countryman, Bill
Shocks, much used up, but very much
alive still. Close behind came an
other of the trouble-seeking sailors
| They both paused looked at us, and
| then turned and shouted:
Come on, fellers; here's them Two
| Turks; let's get even with 'em.'
But they were too slow for us. Juan
and / leaped up, hurled the two men
! odt through the doorway, slammed
the door and jerked back the bolt.
What are you doing?' shouted the
| landlord in alarm.
Silence cried Juan, "they will kill
you if they come in. Take your wife
out of here"
Our three shipmates understood in
d fash how matters stood.
"Open the shutters and see how
many they are suggested Milano;
perhaps we can manage them
We did so, and counted nine mcr
outside in the moonlight
TOO many said Juan; eve must
stay inside; we have the advantage
then"
Lets in" howled a voice through
the door followed by Il violent pound
| ing at the panels, cor Wen make
matchwood of yer old shanty."
The landlord protested again. but
| Milano silenced him with threats, and
forced him up the stairs to the room
above, where his wife had taken re-
| fuge. Blow after blow now shook
the door, but it was stout and easily
withstood them. Then came a short
| pause and-crash plintering glass
| showered over the floor, and a rock
landed in the middle of the room,
! barely missing Russo. This was fol-
! lowed by a bombardment of stones
F., through the windows, completely shat
| tering the thin shutters. Then came
another silence. All was dark inside;
we had extinguished the lamps. X
shadow appeared in one of the win
dows. then the black silhouette of q
! head.
open up said voice, 'or We'll
! set the house on fire
] picked up a chair and struck at
J the head. 1t disappeared with yell
! followed by streak Of oaths in broad
Geordie accents.
why, damn it, / heard a voice
| say, there's an Englishman inside"
! My blow at the head had been ac-
| companied by some strong remarks
which reflected no honor on the heads
ancestry and entage-remarks that
were as vulgar as they were strong,
but so essentially English that only
ali English speaking person would
have used them.
A long quiet followed-an ominous
| silence
Look cried Milano, suddenly.
Look there is our salvation. Quick!
| We can fight our way QUIT!
| Above the bar against the wall hung
! two pairs of crossed cutlaSSes, each
| pair on either side of a big mirror. NO
sooner had Milano spoken than he
! spranG up on the bar and dragged
tdown the four weapons. Each one of
us but Russo took one Russo armed
himself with a long wine bottle, full
and heavy.
Now, all together said Juan,
softly, drawing back the bolt.
Now" he yelled, throwing open the
| door, down the road,
Together we burst out, firmly g'lr-
/ ping the Cutlasses i'll our hands. with
loud curses figures sprang up around
us and closed in. Frantically we
hacked at them felt my steel hit
yielding substance, / heard the sp!in-
tering of Russo's bottle as it broke
oyer an Englishman's head, and then
We five stood alone. one man Ety
| ,Vrithing in the mud before us. screa M
! ing like a woman. It was Bill Shocks.
/ recognized him by the light OF the