Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.) 1897-1921, 1910-03-31
CHAPTER xvl-Continued.


sides the captain, all armed with rifles
to which bayonets had been affixed by
the generals order. Add to these
Smulders, the general himself, Hardy
and three Bouriats, and the defending
party consisted of II members. Brave
Stenka Pugacheff of the crew had
gone down the river for help, and the
attack had been delivered so sudden
ly that there was no time to call Ro-
MANOR, who was sleeping below. In
deed, it is doubtful If, at that moment
of extreme excitement, anybody
thought of him.
The Chinese were receiving a muir
derous and unlooked-for reception, but
they were not to be easily beaten off
Several of them gained the deck and
began to swing their clumsy, two
handed swords, and the clash of steel
on steel rang out amid savage grunts,
snarls and cries of rage. The Cossack
crew and the Bouriats fought like dew
lis, leaping and darting about with the
agility of wildcats and handling their
more modern weapons with murder
GUS dexterity and skill.
A man never knows what sort of
man he is still a supreme trial comes
to him. The American found himself
cool. His faculties were all at a
state of EXTREMIST tension, with the
result that he could see and hear bet.
ter, think faster and decide more
quickly than in ordinary moments.
He took his revolver from his pocket
and ran lightly toward Manchurian
who inc To-
the rail. He fred at the head of the
man. who fell back into the water with
loud splash, dropping his sword on
the deck. Another leaped over the
rail almost at his side. and, swinging
his great steel blade high in the air,
chopped at Hardy's head. The latter
threw up his rifle and received the
blow on the barrel, The impact
brought him to his knees, but, as he
sank, he shot his assailant beneath
the chin, killing him instantly.
At this moment blazing arrow
passed over him and stuck in one of
the cotton-stuffed pillows that had been
used as a barricade. Hardy snatched
the pillow. threw 1t overheard and
ran to the downstream side of the
boat. The attack of the boarders had
not lasted in all over four or five
minutes. and yet in that time several
OF the wading party had approached
considerably nearer The moon gave
sufficient light for him to see the
sights of his rifle now and the dark
form Of the Chinese made conspicuous
marks in the cleaning water This
was not over two or three inches deep
Oh the sand in which the prov of the
boat was imbedded, and two of the
Chinese were running close in. Hardy
killed them both with his rifle and
then began to shot deliberately at
those who were farther away, with
such effect that he put the entire
party TO flight ere the ten remaining
shots In his weapon were exhausted.
He turned to re-enter the melee just
in time to see Boris Romanoff burst |
raging on deck, wrench a two-handed |
sword from the fingers of dead Chin.
nese and ply it with as much ease and |
skill as though 1t were lightest of
rapiers. The attackers were gaining |
ground. Enough of them had come |
over the side to defend a portion of |
the rail, over which others were rapid |
ly scrambling, while several of their
number were keeping the defending
party SO busy that they could not use
their guns to shoot them down; which,
indeed, they would not have been
likely to do. in any case. as Cossacks
and Bouriats are primitive fighters
who do not think OF shooting when
brought to close quarters. Boris Ro-
manor charged with such deadly skill
that the boarders leaped over the
side, back into the water, leaving two
of their number dead The other
brigands followed their comrades,
with the exception of one, who was
bayoneted In the back just as he
Jumped; the rife-barrel, striking the
rail, made a fulcrum of It, SO that the
weapon was wrenched from the own
er's hands.
And now a thing happened that made
Hardy glad that he had not taken
Boris Romanoff's hand. One of the
Chinese was not dead, but had been
stunned by blow on the head with