The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-03-28
CHAPTER XVII

| lew ueSul:Ory ShOtS followed
the volley, an, then the firms
ceased altogether For little
while we lay quite still, and Their
came Hayling's voice:
Anyone hit?"
waited for the girl to speak, and
when the reassuring mo" came,
felt that we were not utterly
| abandoned of God.
And my brothers," said she.
mot touch" said Hayling.
mot touch" echoed
She sighed, and something that
sounded uncommonly like a devout
ejaculation forced it's way through
the gloomy air.
For a long time after this we re.
NAMED unmolested, while, by Ger.
tain sounds that reached us, we
guessed that grog was sent round,
which in the present uncertain
state of things was an extremely
judicious piece of generalship.
And SO slowly the long night
wore through, and |, who had been
unaccustomed to such work, felt
my eyelids grow stiff and heavy in
spite of my determination not to
suffer by comparison with my COM
panion. And yet | started guiltily
at the low exclamation which es-
capped him, and knew by the
shamed way my eyes threw Off
their heaviness that l was not
worthy of all freedom from sus-
picion.
What is it," I wills red, after
first looking and seeing nothing.
Day" he muttered.
A low sigh of relief came from
the corner where the girl lay.
Though I doubted not that day
was breaking somewhere, l saw no
sign of it as l peered out into the
darkness. But this was one OF
those things in which / was sure
my companion could not be at
fault, and l inwardly blessed the
light which l knew might burst
forth at any moment.
AS | stared into the deep shad-
ow which the high bulwarks pro-
jected along the deck, l suddenly
became impressed with the fact
that that shadow concealed a still
deeper shadow, and, what was
more, that the deeper shadow was
moving contrary to the laws of
shadows. But the darkness was
still extremely dense, and | worried
myself with much conjecture. Aft
er all, a fellow in my position was
likely to see an enemy in every
shadow, hear something unpleas-
ant in every splash of the sea.
But, at the same time, | held my
revolver in readiness, for though
until that night | had never point
ed a weapon at man with intent
to kill-and | admit to sundry in
heroic qualms at the thought-still
| remembered where l was and
what | owed to those who had sud.
denly grown so near and dear to
me. If, therefore, the shadow de-
veloped as | expected, l would ave
to shoot, but II my heart | hoped
that | might MT kill.
AS | waite | felt convinced
that something ominous was going
on IN the gloom of the bulwarks.
Indeed, even in the uncertain light
the darker shadow seemed imper-
ceptibly to creep closer, and l was
not sure that other similar shadows
were not creeping in its wake.
strained my eyeballs till they stung
with pain, and was about to &C
quaint Hayling with my suspicious
when the day OF which he had
spoken suddenly shot a broad, dull
shaft of light right through the
heart Of the darkness. But dull
as it was it instantly transformed
the face of things. and l immediate
ly perceived at least half a dozen
men crawling towards us in the
gloom.
Recognizing the proximity of the
danger, my humane scruples van
ished; took quick but careful aim
at the first man and fired. The
Shrek that left him told me he was
hit. simultaneously with the cry
he bounded out on to the deck,
threw up his arms, shrieked again,
and fell. Then scrambling hurried
ly to his knees. he crawled forward,
topping over in his haste.