The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-12-13

peephoIe in the drawn shade. As Adair
spoke. he sprang back. tripped Ford
and fell with him. crying:
Down. both of your
At the cry there was a shot from
without, and a window on the exposed
side of the Nadia fell in shivers. There
were yells of terror from the cooks
party. and the two negroes came crawl
ing through the side vestibule. their
eyes like saucers and their teeth chat
tering. Ford jumped up and turned
off the Pintsch lights; and he was
barely down again when another shot
broke a second window
Wouldn't that jolt your said Adair.
They are feeling for you with both
hands. What heavens pity it is
that we haven't so much as a potato
popgun among US to talk back with.
Nhat did you see. Mr.. BrisSac?"
"A crowd OF them bunched on the
commissary porch. One OF them was
sighting a Winchester at the car when
[ got busy
Adair was again lamenting the lack
of arms when the negro porter produced
pocket bulldog pistol of the cheap
and uncertain sort 'Y-yzy-yah you
is. Mistuh Charles he suffered.
.Ah. Williams-concealed weapons?
That is $50 fine in your native Ten
nessee, isn't it," Then to BTissac:
Please go to the farther window and
mark down for me, Mr.. Brissac.
don't like to have those fellows do all
the blufiing."
While the assistant was complying.
a third bullet from the commissary
porch tore high through the car.
smashing one OF the gas globes. Adair
crawled to a broken window and the
cheap revolver roared like an over
loaded musket.
Good. shot" said Brissac. from his
marking post. You got one of them
le's down and they're dragging him
inside. Now they have all ducked to
over"
That settles any notion of a
palaver and the pipe of peace. l
guess said Adair. as indifferentIy as
he had just brought down clay
pigeon. "Prophesy. Stuart; what comes
nextr
Ford shook his head.
They can't quit now till they are
sure am permanently obliterated; they
nave gone too far. They'll credit me
take it as pretty emphatic proof that
still live. Hence, more war"
Well. what do we do? You are the
,aptain'
picket the car and keep a sharp look
put for the next move. Brissac you
AXE the forward end and I'll take the
ear platform. Adair. post your Afri-
ans in here where they'll do the most
GOOD, and see that they don't go to
sleep on their jobs"
The disposition of forces was quickly
made, after which suspense set in.
silence and the solitude of the deserted
camp reigned unbroken; yet the watch
ers knew that the shadows held deter
mined enemies. alertly besieging the
20
down a portiere, gave 1T bulk with q
stuffing of berth pillows and dropped
the bundle from one of the shattered
windows. Three Jets of fire belcheC
from the nearest shadow and the dunn
my was riddled. Adair fired at one O.
the flashes. resting the short barreleC
pistol across the window ledge, and thu
|. retaliatory shot brought Ford hurryins
in from his post.
For heavens sake. don't waste YOU
ammunition he whispered. "One o.
them has gone up to the powder hous,
after dynamite l heard the creakins
of the iron door,"
Adair whistled softly. Dynamite
That will bring things to a focus beau
tifully. won't 1T? When they hav,
blown us up, l wonder how they will &C
{ count to Uncle Sidney for the loss of hi
carr"
Brissac had come running in at thu
sound of the firing. He missed thu
grim humor in Adair's query.
; Car, nothingl" he retorted. Better
L say the entire camp and everything il
/, 1t, There's a whole boxcar load o
dynamite and caps out here in tn
Observation-Disclosures supplies waiting
r for the freighters teams from the ives
end. IL they smash us. the chances
: are ten to one that there'll he a sym
IN N
: yard somewhere that will leave moth
ing but a hole in the groundr
NO" said Ford. II gave orders my
self to have that car set down below
the junction when the Nadia came in.
: so you did; and so IL was" Brissa
! cut in. But afterward it got mikes
J, in the shifting. and it's back in tn
yard-I don't know just where"
Adair turned to the covering porter
n Have you any more cartridges 70
this cannon of yours, Williams?'' h
asked.
: ..N-n-no. sah.'
Then we have three more chances i
I the hat Much Obliged for the dyna
!, mite hint. Stuart. RI herd these tire
I cartridges pretty carefully Rack I
your sentry boxes. you two. and max
a noise IL you need the artillery.
= Another interval OF suspense fol
lowed, tnlckly scored WITH pIlChliIlSS y
anxiety for the besieged. Then an at
: tempt was made from the rear. For
. saw a lodging shadow working its wa
= from car to car in the yard and sig
:, nailed softly to Adair.
Hold low ON him. he cautioned
when the New Yorker was at his elbow
4 those cheap guns jump like a scare
! COW pony" Then he. added: And pra
:. God you don't hit what he's carrying
Adair held low and bided his time
There was another musket like roal
:. and an instant though harmless repl
from two rifles on the other side O
I. the Nadia. But the lodging shadoN
= was no longer advancing.
: I've stopped him for the time being
: anyhow" said Adair. exulting hike
boy. IF we only had a decent weapo
;, we, could get them all. one at time.
This was crude" Ford commented
"Eckstein will think up something bet
ter for the next attempt"
1t was a prophecy which found II
+ fulfllment after another sweating 1T
. tervaI of watchfulness. This time
;, was Brissac who made the discover.
from the forward end of the Nadia
The nearest of the material cars was
" hroadaida ~ the DTiVatp ca