Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-11-29
CHAPTER XVu-(Continued.)

moved, he fell quiet again, and SAID IN
low, coaxing voice:
''Dons compel me, lad, to do what L
have meant not to do. You're here Tor
good or i'll. These men are nothing to
you; they're lazy hogs that the worlds
well rid of-let 'em die, and save your
own carcass. You've been here days now
the first man that ever lived among US
without signing our papers. You've
straight notion that my hands agen Eu-
rope, and, for the matter of that, agen
the world, too those that share with me
shall swing with me. 1t isn't of my ask
ing that you're amongst us, or that you
took up the work of Hall, who put the
first nail in his coffin that night he came
to my bed at Spezia. | saw him there,
though he thought me sleeping; and that
night | wrote death against his name, as
| wrote it against yours when you entered
my room in Paris. There's reasons why
I've broken my word in your case, though
you'll never know 'em; but there's no
reason why you shouldn't swear to go
through it with me. There's my papers.
Sign EN- now, or you lie corpse before
an hour on the clock"
He leaned over his writing table and
put into my hands a rough sheet OF parch-
ment. But my eyes were dimmed with
the restless excitement of the situation.
The silence Of the room was terrible to
bear; it was as though l struggled for
life while already in the tomb. My
thoughts went hurriedly to Europe, to my
home, to my friends I took heart for a
step which was the last mad design OF a
driven man.
"Give me the pen ~ said suddenly.
He put the pen into my hands. and
leaned back with a chuckle of satisfac-
ton; but the movement cost him the
game. | clutched his pistol with light
ming grasp. and covered him with it.
''If you raise a finger I'll shoot you like
a dog" l cried
Then the man, who was no craven. sat
motionless in his chair, and his face might
have been cut from marble.
''If you raise your voice to call out, or
If anyone comes to this room, you die
where you Sit" | aid.
boy, you're the first that's bested
Black" he said I'm caught like n rat
in the hole. What do We want? Name
it, and I'll know how we stand y
Il want my life-now that | refuse to
sign that paper. You can give the order
that no mans to lay a finger on me, and
you will?"
He thought a moment, looking straigt
down the barrel of the Colt. Then he
said
Eyes, 1 can't avoid that-I'n give you
that"
And my liberty on the first occasion
Offering
NO" he replied very slowly and stern
1y: they'd tear me to pieces"
There was no doubt that he had right
in this. | put the pistol down: then
offered him my hand, and he jumped up
from his seat, grasping it with great
clutch.
"You're sound plank of a boy
The sound of firing, rapid and oft re
heated. came to us from the shore of the
cove below. He went to his window and
I saw the whole bay lit with silver light
from a fuIl-risen moon, and the distant
peaks as grim beacons above a land OF
rest. Out on the snow there was n hun
gry crowd of starving souls, crying for
bread. and those to whom they cried an
swered them with their muskets, dyeing the
glittering white with many a red stream
"For heavens sake, help those men, il
YOU have anything but the instincts of q
brute in you" | cried.
There was a pause before he answered
me Then he snatched a rifle from 8
case and said:
take that pistol and come on. There.
blood to let"
followed him down the passage to the
haoeh where he blew whistle sharI
and .hrill.
.'Thatll wake 'em on the ship" he ex
planned I'm not afeard of these bu
there's fighting to be done-now don
show till you're wanted
He advanced towards the snow plair
and sang out:
John, you there, Dick-hands TO quar-
ters do you hear me? Move right quick
or I'll move YOU ~
They put down their arms from thei
shoulders in blank amazement, and list
ened to him as he went on:
There's enough down for one night.
reckon, and I'm not going to be KEEP
awake by your firing"
They came round him slowly and suIk
ily. and he drove them to the big houses
with fine round phrases. | lurked neai
"Say, Cap'en, hev We took to adoptin
that boy ez We seems so fond OFF,,
'Shut your jaw. or I'll shut it fo
you!' replied Black. rs the boy you
affair.""
II calcerlate, an some of us wishes (,
know particler if he's Signed or no.
"Oh. you want to know, do you? lie
them as makes complaint step right here.
Only four joined the leader: but tn,
Captain suddenly snatched my revolver
from me, and fired four shots; and 70
each shot a man dropped dead on tn,
beach but the American stood untouched
The appalling brutality of the action
seemed to awe the rest of the crew. The,
stood motonless, dumb with their rage
bur when they recovered themselves the,
rushed upon us with wild ferocity.
heard a shout from the water and, look
ing there, | saw Doctor Osbart in tn
launch: and there was Maxim gun il
the bows of her.
Clear that beach, roared Black il
awful passion: and instantly, as he drop
ped fiat and l initiated him, there wa
hail of bullets, and the main part o
the crowd fell shrieking. The victory wa
awful. instantaneous. As the men fet
towards the hills, Black called after them
Bring to. you carrion, or I'll wipe yol
out, every one of you Any man Who'll
save his throat, let him come here -
At these words they turned back to
man. and came covering to the water
edge. Thirty of their fellows lay dea,
or wounded on the stones.
Where's your leader?" asked Black
and they pointed 70 the American, VIII
lay with the blood pouring from woun,
in his left thigh.
Hes there, is he?" screamed the iufu
rated man. We'll, I'll cure him like
ham. Get torches. some of you, and ic
him in
All helped him in his CHASTITY work, an
brought shovels and picks, which they car
ried TO the higher plane of snow.
We've got TO die, both of u.s. said tn
American at last: you en- me, Black, e
there isn't much ez we kin look for. G