Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-09-29

up inquiringly.
MY warships,v he said, the whimsi-
cal smile broadening.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE PLAGUE Is ANNOUNCED.
eT>fuE next morning a steamship
flying the English flag came to
anchor off Arafat, delivered
49, and received mail bags and
after an hours stay steamed away in
the drift of the southeast trade winds
Bombay to Cape Colony. The men
at the chateau gazed longingly, help
lessly through their glasses at this
black hulled visitor from the world
they loved. They watched it until
nothing was left to be seen except the
faint cloud of smoke that went to n
pin point in the horizon. There had
been absolutely no opportunity to COM
municate with the officers of the ship.
They sailed away hurriedly, as if in
alarm. Their haste was significant.
perhaps Bowles succeeded in get
ting word with the officer who came
ashore" said Browne hopefully. "He
knows the danger we are in"
"My dear Browne, Bowles hadn't the
ghost OF Il chance to communicate with
the ship" said Chase. "He can't bully
'cm any longer with his Tommy Atkins
coat. They've outgrown it. just as he
has. 1t was splendid while 1t lasted,
but they're no more afraid Of it now
than they are of my warships. l wish
there was some way to get him and his
English assistants into the chateau.
It's awful to think of what is coming
to them sooner or later"
as there no way to help themT"
groaned Dcppingham.
''1'll never forget poor Bowles the
first time / saw him in his dinky red
Jacket and that hooligan cap of his,'
reelected Chase, as If he had not heard
Deppingham's remark. "He put them
Oh and tried to overawe the crowd that
night when l was threatened in the
market place. BE did his best, poor
chap. and p Eas
Look" exclaimed Britt suddenly,
pointing toward one Of the big gates
in the upper end Of the park. 81 be-
lieve they're making an attackw
The next instant the men in the bal
cony were leaving it pellmell, picking
up the ever ready rifles as they dashed
off through the halls and out into the
park. They kept themselves as well
covered as possible by the boxed trees,
although up to this time there had
been no shooting
Chase. in advance, suddenly gave
vent to loud cry and boldly dashed
out into the open. disregarding all
shelter. Two of the native park patrol
were Fastening toward the gate from
another direction. Outside the huge,
barred gate throng of men and
women were congregated. Some of
the men were vigorously slashing
away at the bars with sledges and
crowbars; others were crouching with
rifles leveled-in the other direction!
Its Bowles!" shouted Chase eagerly.
The situation Mt once. became clear
to those inside the walls. Bowles and
his friends. Il score all told, had man.
aged to reach the upper gate and were
now clamoring for admission, beset on
MI sides by the cnemy's pickets.
Fer Gcd's sake. be quick..' shouted
BoW'les. There's thousand of them
coming up the mines road.w
The gates were unlocked by the pa
trol. and the panic stricken throng
iumbled through them and scattered
like sheep behind the high. sheltering
walls. Once more the massive gates
were closed and the bolts thrown
down just in time to avoid fusillade
of bullets from the outside.
Once inside the chateau the fugi-
tiycs, shivcring with terror. fairly col
lapscd. There We're three Englishmen
In the party besides Bowles, and
Chase recognized the Persian wives
of jacob Won Blitz among the women
who had been obliged to cast their lot
With the refugees from Arafat. The
lister of Ncenah and five or six other
mccen who had been sold into the
laad made up the remainder of the
lite group OF trembling females.
T..c remainder of the men in the
party, fourteen or fifteen in all, We're
Of ilany castles and nationalities and
Of various ages. There were brown
.'ii.:ned fellows from Calcutta, a cou-
pie of sturdy Greeks. an Egyptian and
Il Persian, three or four Assyrians and
is many Maoris. AS to their walks in
life. among them were clerks and
guards from the bank, members of the
native constabulary, Indian takers and
showmen and vendors of foreign gew-
gaws.
Bowles. his thin legs still shaking
perccptibly, although he strove might
lily to hold them at strict attention.
was the spokesman. A valiant heart
tlumpcd once more against the seams
of the little red jacket. If his hand
trembled and his voice shook it was
because of the unwonted exertion to
which both had been put in that stir
ring fight ut dawn.
"For some time we have been pre-
pairing FOR the outbreuk," he said, nm
gcring the glass of brandy that Britt
had poured for him. Ever since
Chase began to go in SO noticeably for
the ladies--ahem"
Chase glnred at him. The others tit
tered.
Il don't mean the old story, sir, of
the -Persians. and I'm saying, sir,