The Holly chieftain., 1905-11-17

The advance is not given up. but
new system OF tactics brought into
play.
One man gives his torch toss into
the surrounding jungle. Another
sees the point and follows suit. For
a brief interval the air seems filed
with fambeauX. each describing a
parabola and landing in the thicket
Jack understands what it means
and has no liking for the advance
that must follow, since it means the
possible arrival of the guerrillas at
the car, and possible hand-to-hand
conflict that will work against them
or account of inferior numbers.
He sees many dark forms stumbling
forward over the bodies of those who
have fallen; the torches have not gone
out. but kindle incipient confagra-
tions among the dead leaves.
Fire. Give it to them hot" is
what Squire John exclaims.
With crash the others open. Even
All Sin can do his share, since Jack
has no use for retainer unable to
handle gun, and in the early days
of their intimacy taught the Celes-
tial how to aim and fire, though the
Chinaman cannot be broken of gun
shyness. and persists in shutting his
eyes each time he pulls trigger.
Such wholesale discharge is
enough to quite finish the business.
The advance has been feeble be-
fore, but now it ceases entirely. When
the seeds of panic are sown they
germinate with lightning rapidity
From lip to lip the cries of alarm
pass. Perhaps never before in all
their experience have these barbarians
met with such desperate resistance
as this.
They melt away, these fierce guer-
rillas.
N the dim light their fleeing figures
caa be seen in various quarters in
desperate fight. The shots continue
so long as any are in sight, and while
pr,bably lacking in execution, GER
tainly add to the temporary terror of
th. mob
lSome have sought safety In the for.
es;, and Jacks attention being called
danger that confronts them.
The dead leaves and brush catch
fire easily at this time of the year,
since the opening of the rainy season
has been delayed.
Already in half dozen places,
where the descending torches alight-
ed can be seen a rapidly-spreading
blaze. The breeze seems to be in
creasing with the passage of each
minute of time. and tanning the
flames into vigorous life.
Jack knows better than any of the
others the full measure OF the new
danger menacing them.
Still. what can be done?
There is a fire for every man, some
oe them already burning so fiercely
that 1t would tax the ingenuity of
single Individual to encompass the de-
struction of the blaze.
Should they attempt to extinguish
the fires that already begin to snap
and crackle as they greedily seize
upon new material, they will natur.
ally become target for those of
the bushwhackers who may still lin
ger near
Hence nothing can be done.
The others begin to notice the in
creasing light.
They comment on the fact that
presently they will offer fair targets
to the aim of the enemy; but
strangely enough none of them appear
to grasp the most serious part of
the impending disaster.
Even Smithers, usually so quick to
see such things, makes no mention of
it.
1t is suggested that they seek the
interior once more. None of them are
10th to do SO. The guard and All
Sin find an asylum in the end COM
partment as before.
Smithers appears to dislike this di-
vision of their forces, and one of his
first acts upon entering is to ex.
anime the partition between.
His scrutiny appears to satisfy him.
for he at once opens an assault on
the wall, which proves to be a mere
SHE'LL and in wretched condition at
that; for under the vigorous mea-
sures brought into play by the ener-
getic agent. there is an opening made
through which the stoutest Of the
party can pass with ease.
Don Roblado and Spencer are
keeping watch at one door, and Jack
opens the other In order to take an
observation. =.
He is really startled and not little
worried at the amazing progress
made by the fires. They have eaten
their way along on that side of the