The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-04-15

4u6N SiIOulSu anu SCSlit diSiNCu, pCii1I
ing at him; the captain had drawn his
pistol but did not fire; the others were
unarmed. Their movements We're gro
tesque and horrible, their forms gigan-
tic
Suddenly he heard a sharp report
and something struck the water smart
Iy within a few inches of his head,
scattering his face with spray. He
heard second report, and saw one of
the sentinels with his rifle at his
shoulder, a light cloud of blue smoke
rising from the muzzle The man in
the water saw the eye of the man on
the bridge gazing into his own through
the sights of the rifle. He observed
that it was gray eye, remembered
having read that gray eyes We're keen
est and that all famous marksman had
them. Nevertheless, this one had
missed.
A counter swirl had caught Farqu-
har and turned him half round; he was
again looking into the forest on the
bank opposite the fort. The sound of a
clear high voice in a monotonous sing
song now rang out behind him AMI
came across the water with a distinct
ness that pierced and subdued all other
sounds, even the beating of the ripples
in his ears. Although no soldier, he
had frequented camps enough to know
the dread significance of that deliber-
ate, drawing aspirated chant; the lieu
tenant on shore was taking part in
the mornings work. How coldly and
pitilessly-With what an even. calm in
tonation, presa ging and enforcing tran
quillity in the men-with What accur-
ately measured intervals fell those
cruel words:
Attention, company! Shoulder arms.
Ready. Aim! Fret
Farquhar dived-dived as deeply as
he could. The water roared in his ears
like the voice of Niagara, yet he heard
the dulled thunder of the volley and,
rising again toward the surface, met
shining bits of metal, singularly fiat
tened, oscillating slowly downward.
Some of them touched him on the face
and hands, then fell away, continuing
their descent. One lodged between his
collar and neck; it was uncomfortably
warm, and he snatched it out
AS he rose to the surface, gasping
for breath, he saw that he had been
long time under water; he was per-
ceptibly farther down stream-nearer
to safety. The soldiers had almost
finished reloading; the metal ramrods
flashed all at once in the sunshine as
they were drawn from the barrels.
turned in the air. and thrust into their
sockets. The two sentinels fired again;
independently and Intellectually
The hunted man saw all this over
his shoulder; he was now swimming
vigorously with the current. His brain
was as energetic as his arms and legs;
he thought with the rapidity of light
ming.
The officer he reasoned, twill not
make that martinets error a second
time. 1t is as easy to dodge a volley
as a single shot. He has probably al
ready given the command to fire at
viii. God help me, cannot dodge them
all.''
An appalling splash within two yards
of him, followed by a loud, rushing
sound, diminuendo, which seemed to
travel back through the air to the fort
and died in an explosion which stirred
the very river to it's deeps! A rising
sheet of water, which curved over him,
fell down upon him, blinded him,
strangled him! The cannon had taken
a hand in the game AS he shook his
head free from the commotion of the
snitten water he heard the DETECTED
shot humming through the air ahead,
and in an instant it was cracking and
smashing the branches in the forest
beyond.
They will not do that again. he
bought; 1.-The next time they will use
a charge of grape. must keep my eve
upon the gun; the smoke will apprise
me-the report arrives too late; it lags
gun"
Suddenly he felt himself whirled
round and roUnd-spinning like a top.
The water, the banks, the forest, the
now distant bridge, fort and men-all
were commingled and blurred. Objects
We're represented by their colors only;
circular horizontal streaks of color
that was all he saw. He had been
caught in a vortex and was being
whirled on with a velocity of advance
and gyration which made him giddy
and sick. In few moments he was
flung upon the gravel at the foot of the
left bank of the stream-the southern
bank-and behind a projecting point,
which concealed him from his enemies.
The sudden arrest of his motion, the
abrasion of one of his hands on the
delight. He dug his fingers into the
sand. threw it over himself in hand
fuls and audibly blessed it. 1t looked
like diamonds. rubies. emeralds: he
could think of nothing beautiful which
it did not resemble. The trees upon
the bank We're giant garden plants: he
noted a definite order in their arrange
ment, inhaled the fragrance of their
blooms. A strange, roseate light shone
through the spaces among their trunks.
and the wind, made in their branches
the music of aeolian harps. He had no
wish to perfect his escape. was content
to remain in that enchanting spot until
retaken.
whiz and rattle of grapeshot among
the branches high above his head rous-
ed him from his dream. The baffIed
cannoneer had fired him a random fare