Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-11-26
By GEORGE BARR
M~'CUTCHEON
Continued from last week
Copyright. 1908. by Dodd. Mead
q Co.
CHAPTER XVII.

commot1on. Early r1SerS and
u the guards were flying from
house to house, shouting the news.
Outside the harbor lay the low, saw
age looking ship. Its guns were point
ed directly at the helpless town. Its
decks were swarming with white
clothed men.
The plague was forgotten. The
strategy that had driven off the ships
of peace vas lost in the face of this
ugly creature of war. Rasula's reign
Of strategy was ended.
"They will not fire! They dare not!'
he was shrieking as he dashed back
and forth along the dock. cit is chancel
They do not come for Chase! Believe
in me! The tug! The tugl They
must not land!"
The crash of the long unused six
FOUNDER at the chateau, followed al
most Immediately by a great oar from
one Of the cruisers guns. brought the
panic to a crisis.
The islanders scattered like chaff be-
fore the wind. looking wild eyed owe
their shoulders in dread of the pursu-
ing cannon ball. lodging in and out
among the houses and off into the
foothills.
Rasula, u~ndaunted, but crazed with
disappointment, stuck to his colors on
the deserted dock. He cursed and
raved and begged. In time two or
three of the more canny, realizing that
safety lay in an early peace offering,
ventured out beside him. Others fol
lowed their example, and still others
skunk trembling to the fore, their
voices ready to protest innocence and
friendship and loyalty.
They had heard of the merciless
American gunner. and they knew in
their souls thai he could shoot the is
and i4aEEHsr 49,
am ved at last brought
them to understand in a feeble way
that no harm could come to them If
they faced the situation boldly. The
Americans would not land on British
soil; it would p~recipitate war with
England. They would not dare to at
tempt a bombardment; Chase was a
liar, a mountebank, a dog! After shout
ing himself hoarse in his frenzy of de-
spair he finally succeeded In forcing
the men to get up steam in the COM
pany's tug.
All this time the officers Of the
American warship were dividing their
attention between land and sea. An
other vessel was coming up Of the
misty horizon. The men on board
knew it to be a British man-of-war!
Suddenly a party of white men ap-
preached the startled Rasula. A hua-
bred eager hands were extended, a
hundred voices cried out for mercy, a
hundred Mohammedans beat their
heads in abject submission.
Hollingsworth Chase, Lord Dep
bingham and a familiar figure In an Ill
fitting red Jacket and forage cap strobe
firmly, deiantly between the rows of
humble Japatites. Close behind them
came a tall, resolute grenadier of the
Rapp-Thorberg army.
make way there! Make way!"
Mr.. Bowles was crying, brandishing
the antique broadsword that had come
down to Wyckholme from the dark
ages. "Stand aside for the British
government! Make way for the Amer
ican!'
Rasula's jaw hung limp in the face
of this amazing exhibition Of courage
on the part of the enemy. He was
glaring insanely at the calm, trium-
plant face of the man from Brodney's,
who was now advancing upon him
with the assurance of a conqueror.
you see, Rasula, L have called for
the cruiser, and it has come at my
bidding" Turning to the crowd that
surged up from behind, cowed and
cringing, Chase said: cit rests with
you. If l give the word that ship will
blow you from the face of the earth. 1
am your friend, people. l would do you
no harm, but good. You have been mis-
led by Rasula. Rasula, you are not a
fool. You can w yourself eve now
! am here as the servant of these peo-
pie, not as their master. l intend to
remain here until l am called back by
the man who sent me to you. You
have
Rasula uttered a shrek of rage. He
had been crouching back among his
cohorts, painting with fury. Now he
sprang forward, murder In his eyes.
His arm was raised, and a great pistol
was leveled at the breast of the man
who faced him so coolly, so confident
ly. D~eppingham shouted and TOOK a
step forward to divert the aim of the
frenzied lawyer.
A revolver cracked behind the tall
American, and Rasula stopped in his
tracks. There was a great hole in his
forehead. His eyes were bursting. He
sank to the ground dead!