Milford chronicle., 1905-03-24
Copyright, 1905, by s. s. Mcclure Company
CHAPTER X.


breastwOrks of sand and a brief hand
to hand scrimmage around the old
cabin. In all accounts he had ever read
of such affairs and in all ideas he had
entertained on the subject this had al
ways been the case. The two bodies
had shocked together like a college
rush, there had been five minutes play
of knife and club and gun, a confused
whirl of dust and smoke, and all was
over before one had time either to
think or be afraid. But nothing of
the kind happened that morning.
The Bertha Millner's crew, in a long
line, Moran at one end, Wilbur at the
other and Charlie in the center, came
on toward the beachcombers step by
step. There was little Outcry. Each
contestant singled out his enemy and
made slowly for him with eyes fixed
and weapon ready, regardless of the
movements of his mates.
See any rifles among them. Charlie?"
shouted Moran, suddenly breaking the
silence.
"No, 1 tink no hab got" answered
Charlie.
Wilbur took another step forward
and cooked his revolver. One of the
beachcOmbers shouted out something
in angry vernacular, and Charlie in
stantly responded. All this time the
line had been slowly advancing upon
the enemy, and Wilbur began to won
der how long that heartbreaking sus-
pense was to continue. This was not
at all what he had imagined. Already
he was within twenty feet of his man,
could see the evil CLINT of his slant,
small eye and the shine Of his yellow
body, naked to the belt Still foot by
foot the forward movement continued.
The Chinese on either side had begun
exchanging insults. The still, hot air
of the trOpic dawn was vibrant with
the Cantonese monOsyllables tossed
back and forth like tennis balls over
the low sand rampant The thing was
degenerating into a farce-the Bertha's
Cinnamon would not fight.
Back there, under the shelter of the
schooner, it was all very well to talk,
and they had been very brave when
they had all flung themselves upon
HOang. Here, face to face with the
enemy, the sun striking off heliOgraph
flashes from their knives and spades,
it was a vastly different matter. The
thing, to Wilbur's mind, should have
been done suddenly if it was to be
done at all. The best course now was
to return to camp and try some other
plan. Charlie shouted a direction to
him in pigeon English that he did not |
understand, but he answered "All |
rightP' and moved forward another |
step so as to be in line with the cody |
at his left.
The liquor that he had drunk before |
starting began suddenly to affect him,
yet he knew that his head was yet |
clear. He could not bring himself to |
run away before them all, but he |
would have given much to have dis |
covered a good reason for postponing
the fight, if fight there was to be.
He remembered the cooked revolver
in his hand and, suddenly raising it,
fired point blank at his man, not fif-
teen feet away. The hammer snapped
on the nipple, but the cartridge did not
explode. Wilbur turned to the China
man next him in line, exclaiming ex-
citedly:
"Here, say, have you got a knife
something l can fight with? This gun
Is no good"
There was a shout from Moran:
"Look out! Here they cOmer
Two of the beachcombers suddenly
sprang over the sand breastworks and
ran toward Charlie, their knives held
dow in front of them, ready to rip.
'Shoot! Shoot! ShootP' shouted Mo
ran rapidly.
Wilbur's revolver was a self cocker.
He raised it again. drawing hard on
the trigger as he did So 1t roared and
leaped in his hand and a Whit Of
burned powder came to mis- nOstrils.
Then Wilbur was astonished to hear
himself shout at the top of his voice:
"Come on now, get into them-get
into them now, everybody
The Bertha's Cinnamon were all run
ming forward, three of them well in
advance of the others. In the rear
Charlie was at grapples with a beach
comber who fought with a knife in
each hand, and Wilbur had a sudden
glimpse Of another sitting on the sand
with his hand TO his mouth the blood
squirting between his fingers.
Wilbur suddenly realized that he
held a knife and that he was directly
abreast the sand rampant. How he got
the knife he could not tell. though
be afterward distinctly remembered
throwing away his revolver, loaded as
It was. He had leaped the breast
works-he knew that-and between
him and the vast bright blur Of the
pecan he saw one of the beacheombers
packing away and watching him in 1
.ently, his hatchet in his hand Wilbur
lad only time to think that he himself
would no doubt be killed within the Z
lext few moments when this latter I
lalted abruptly, took a step forward 1
ind, instead Of striking downward, as
Wilbur had anticipated, dropped upon l
l.. -A.. Ill ~ !