The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-11-09

uie. Threw the relnS 10 harvey, and
took the injured mule by the head. The
beast was plunging madly, and it was
touch and go for a new stampede with
the whole team. Jethroe set a revolver
close to the wounded animals head and
fired.
"Now," he said, we're in a tight cor
ner. There's no shelter for a mile.
What's to be done?"
you're captain here, SIR" said Har
vey.
He had been thinking much Of Jeth-
roe's latest words, and had been making
up mind Of his own concerning them.
Now the chance was here to show him
self whether or no the mind would stand.
We'll give 'em as little to fire at as
we can," said Jethroe. "Help me to
turn the carts tail toward 'em. That'll
shelter the mules, anyway. and give us
bit of cover, too"
Harvey lent hand, with a swell of
pride in his heart at his own GOODNESS;
but he was not long in discovering that
the pride had some hysteria In 1t. If
he had not made this discovery in time
he would have been weeping for pride
in his own courage in another sixty sec
onds. That reflection struck him as be-
ing so funny that he wanted to laugh at
it. and then he found that there was
danger In laughter. And being thus in
structed by experience, he began to hard
en- his heart in earnest, and acquitted
himself with an apparent GOODNESS which
would have done credit to a veteran.
After the first thick patter Of dis
charge, In which some fifty rounds ap-
peared to have been fired, there was 81
lence for time, and the respite gave
the assailed party a chance to complete
its frail arrangements for shelter. Jeth-
roe induced mules and horses alike to lie
down, and took measures to secure them
all. Then he and Harvey, by his orders,
snaked away through the grass on either
side until they were a hundred yards
apart, making no answer to the loose and
desultory fire which was directed at the
cart.
They're tanning out" said Jethroe In
distinct voice. Keep a keen lookout
to your left, and pot anything that shows
ITSELF"
cay, ay, SIR" said Harvey, but his
voice was so hoarse and thick that his
own ears barely heard it.
You hear?' asked Jethroe.
"Ay, ay, sir" said Harvey, clear
enough this time. He kept an unrelax-
sss outlook, and by-and-by he was re-
varded, for head came round boulder
some three hundred yards away, and
seemed to pass hither and thither. 81
ought to be able to hit that" said the
volunteer marksman, ''if it will only
stay"
1t came a little further, and a pair of
shoulders were in sight. Harvey fired
The man was gone. He could not have
told whether he had hit or missed. but
whilst he wondered a swift and piercing
sound informed him that his own Turk.
ing place had been discovered. He had
never heard a flying bullet so near at
hand before, for it passed within a foot
Of his ear; but he had no need to be
told what the meaning of the noise might
be. He was strung to his utmost by this
time, and debated within himself, quite
coolly, as to the wisest thing to do. To
move would be to set the long grass
moving. He decided to play possum: he
kept still and watched, and the long and
uneventful silence was beginning to get
! at his nerves again, when rustic within
/ twenty yards of him suddenly frightened
his clenched teeth, and pulled every
| nerve tense and taut as q fiddle string.
This, at least, was daring enemy, who
ever he might prove to be- The rustic
was repeated, and Harvey could locate
the sound exactly, or so it seemed: but
| he would not fire until he had more than
| sound to go on. Nearer and nearer r.
came, and at last he saw 4 moving bulk
not dozen PAGES away. He fred. and
he was answered by yell and a volley
of curses in English. But the curses
were suddenly cut short, and gave wav
to groans, and the groans sank lower and
lower until they were stilled.
Then from the rife of Jethroe the
elder, rop. rop! rop! clear and quick and
imperative, and rop! rop! rop! again.
ANY luck, boy?" asked Jethroe.
Zone for certain" Harvey answered.
1.-TWO, rather think"
Two to me-" said Jethroe, "and the
attacks withdrawn. Let's have a look
at the field"
The attack was certainly over for the
| time being, and O search over the field
of combat revealed four badly wounded
men. The first surprise was to discover
/, that they were white men, but the next
/, transcribed it so far as to make it seem
circumstance of no value.
| The man whom Harvey had hit at
short range was no other person than
plain Mr.. Smith. He was lying all tum-
bled and twisted together In the attitude
tude In which his agony had placed him
before it had brought the relief of I'M
consciousness, and the first part of him
Harvey saw was his left cheek, which,
together with his throat. still bore the
| impress Of his own grip. The two mo-
mentary visitors at first imagined him to
be dead, and Jethroe, no tas yet guess
ing who the man might be, turned him
over so that he might look at his face.
Uncle and nephew glared at each other
without being able to find a single word
between them. until Jethroe asked
through set teeth, and with voice like
mastiff's growl:
what does this meanT The Ques-
ton was not asked for the sake of an
answer. 'This fellow came by the same
boat as ourselves" he went on, more
calmly. do you know what that
| meansT
KNOWN said Harvey. II know moth
ing; I'm all abroad"
'Monboddo's in It," Jethroe said, an
swering his own question. "Monboddo
sold me the very instant my back was
turned. This villain came over In our
boat, with all his pals. They travelled
steerage, and kept out of sight. Well,
Little William" he added, looking down
at the unconscious figure, you have ask
ed for it often enough, heaven knows!