The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-05-27

| ny possible won u
| don the soldiers
HozIEe STILL HELD coats. shakos and
IRIS IN HIS ARMS. accouterments Is.
Grantee success thus far. there should
not be much difficulty in persuading
the meE In charge OF the launch that
q cruise ronld the island was to be
undertaken forthwith.
| Marcos would remain with them un-
til the citadel was carried. He would
then hurry back to bring Iris across
the island to an unfrequented beach
| known as the Porto do Conceicao.
where be would embark her on
catamaran and row out to the steamer,
which by that time would be lying off
| the harbor out OF range of the troops
who would surely be summoned from
the distant fort
In the highest spirits the little band
set out resolutely for the curral Here
they encountered no difficulty what
ever. Perhaps the prevalent excite
ment had drawn its custodians TO the
town. since they found no one in
charge save a couple OF barking dogs.
while If there were people in the cattle
keepers cuts they gave no sign of
their presence. A few stakes were
pulled up. They even came upon a
couple OF axes and heavy hammer.
Equipped with these weapons. eked
out by three revoivers owned by the
Braziians and the dapper captains
sword. they hurried on. quitting the
road instantly and following a COW
path that wound about the base Of a
steep hill.
They met their first surprise when
they tried to cross the road to the fort
Quite unexpectedly they blundered into
q small picket stationed there, and the
first intimation Of danger was given
by the startling challenge:
"Who goes thereT
1t was familiar enough to island
ears. and the convict answered readily:
"A friendv
Several friends. It would SEEM"
laughed voice. LET us see who
those friends are"
"Now!" shouted De sylvia. leaping
forward.
There was wild scurry, two or
three shots were fred, and Hozier
found himself on the ground gripping
the throat Of bronzed man whom he
had showed backward with q thrust,
for he had no time to swing his stake
for blow. He was aware of a pair
OF black eyes that glared up at him
horribly In the moonlight. Of white
teeth that shone under long mus
tachios of peculiarly warlike aspect.
but he felt the man was as putty In
his hands. and his fingers relaxed
their pressure.
He looked around. The fight was
ended almost as soon as 1t began. The
soldiers, six in all, were on their backs
in the roadway. Two of them were
dead. The Italian sailor had been shot
through the body and was twisting in
his last agony.
The bloodshed was bad enough, but
those shots were worse. They would
set the island in an uproar. The re-
ports would be heard in town. citadel
and fort. and the troops would now be
on the qui vive. But De sylvia was a |
man Of resource.
strip the. prisonersw he cried. |
"Take their arms and ammunition,
but bind them back to back with their
BELTS"
Butt In there. me lads" vociferated
Coke. who had accounted for one of
the Brazilians with an ak. "Step live
ly! Now we've got some uniforms an
guns we can rush that cittydel easy"
Hozier was busy relieving his man
Of his coat. When the prone warrior
realized that he was not to be killed
he helped the operation. but Philip
was thinking more of Iris than OF
deeds of derring-do.
why attempt to capture the citadel
at alp" he asked. Now that we can
make sufficient display. is there any
reason that we should not 60 straight
for the launchY
IL think 1t is good suggestion"
came the calm answer. provided, that
Is. the launch is in the harbor."
A bell began to toll in the convict
settlement Lights appeared in many
houses scattered over the seward
slope. Hozier. never for an instant I
Iris. saw that Marcel still
remained with his leader. Under these
lew circumstances it certainly would
De piece of folly to send back until \
hey were sure of the launch.
Happily the launch was there. moor
ID alongside small quay. From the
,earest building 1t was necessary to
ross n low wharf some fifty yards in \
width. and De Sylva's whispered CON- :
hands could not restrain the eager
nen when escape appeared no longer
roblematical. but assured. They 4
'roke and ran. an almost fatal thing,
s 1t happened. since the soldiers Z
whom Philip had seen from the rock
we're still on board. One of them no.
iced the inexplicable disorder among
body of men some of whom resem-
led his own comrades. He had heard :
he firing and was discussing It with
theirs when this strange thing hap
eDed.
na nha IIonUa1 Con pana vidaa nm.