The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-06-28
Fanty cunq rghy to er usbands Arm

quarters pistols were practically
worthless save as clubs. while knives
could slip to slay through almost any
interstice, however straitened.
O'Rourke had no time to think of his
companions. Stung to desperation by
the silent, unrelenting fury of his as
sailants-twice he was conscious of
the white-hot agony of knife-thrust,
one penetrating the flesh of his side
and scraping his ribs, the other biting
deep into his thigh-he fired until he
had but one cartridge left in his re-
volver, and expended that blowing out
| the brains of an extraordinarily per
sistent coolie, then dropped the use
less weapon and trusted to his naked
strength.
1t served him well for a little. One
man, precipitated by the weight of
those behind him into the adventur-
er's arms, he seized by the throat and
throttled in a twinkling; then lifting
him from the deck, he exerted his
power to the utmost, and cast the
body like a log into the midst of the
melee. Thus clearing little space. he
found himself able to step aside and
let another run past him into the buI.
wark; and seeing the sheen of
swordblade in the fellows hand, be-
fore he could recover seized his wrist,
twisted it savagely. and wrenched the
weapon away.
ho
nalized by a binding flash of light
more bright than that of day, which
fell athwart the deck and Illuminated
instantaneously every inch of the
fighting ground. Fervently be blessed
the nearby vessel that had turned it's
searchlight on the junk. The scene
1t revealed beggared the experience of
a man whose trade was fighting; it
fell upon decks slippery with blood
and Uttered with the bodies of dead
and wounded; it silenced a confusion
Upon that insane turmoil
the light fell with the effect of thun-
derbolt from a clear sky.
Screaming shrilly in their panic. the
Chinese scattered and fell away, leav-
ing O'Rourke beside Couch, Wheeler
being down and buried beneath three
corpses. And instantaneously |
something grated harshly against the
starboard side of the junk and a man,
his figure stark black against the cold /
white glare, leaped upon the rail and
inboard. Others to the mum
Der of a dozen followed him, swarm
ing over the decks. Couch reeled to-
wards them. babbling orders and In
The second launch had arrived.
Sick and faint, O'Rourke slouched
back against the rail, watching with
eyes the end of the chap
Ter. 1t was simple to the point of
farcical in comparison with
hat (Which preceded it. The dazed and
low outnumbered Chinese offered no
urther resistance Disarmed and put
lnder guard, they disappeared from
lis consciousness, while he watched
he men from the second launch,
purred by Couch, scatter in search of
he abducted women,
Loss OF blood was beginning to tell
pom him; his strength seemed alto
ether gone; his wits buszed In his
cad like a swarm OF gnats He
rasped his support convulsively, be-
inning to appreciate how seriously
Q was hurt He heard as from a great
istance thin, faint cries Of men shout.
ne IN trlumph saw Couch, a pygmy
hape, holding IN his arms doll who
ore the face Of Miss pynsent Then
{ sudden he was conscious Of
oman hasteulng toward him, a fam
lstlc and lncongruoua 0gure IN din