The Clio messenger., 1914-12-18

aged to scramble into position with his
back against the house. where, from
within, he could still hear Hills voice
were unintelligible to his distracted at
tention. Somewhere near by, Beau
Jeans string of rough oaths roared
upon the turmoil, and Lovejoy began
yelping for the police. At this latter
cry there was slight wavering among
their unknown assailants, but 1t was
quickly mended by new onrush.
The men who had been working at
the ship now left their tasks and
Joined the fracas on general prin-
ciplee, siding with neither party, but
laying about them with vigor and a
splendid lack of discrimination. But it
was already quite fierce struggle, and
Pedro very soon began to find II diff
cult to keep his feet. The man with
whom he was confronted had an over
whelming advantage In height and
weight, while Pedro was slight and
soft, and, truth to tell. rather badly
frightened. II only he could manage
to keep the fellow from knocking him
out till Beau-Jean and Lovejoy man
aged to win. or the police arrived. But
what II he should fail?
1t seemed as though they had an
army against them, though as a mat
ter of fact, there we're not more than
ten In all. Twice he with difficulty
suppressed the temptation to call upon
his friends for help and with sobbing
indrawn breath fought on wildly, elu-
sively, striving desperately to prevent
his opponent from graphing with him.
A solitary policeman Ia night rounds
mani had come up. Pedro could hear
him shouting above the din, but his
efforts at establishing order were alb
solutely Intellectual.
BY now Pedro was fast losing
strength. 1t seemed to him that at any
instant he must succumb, and sink to
the ground. Only horror Of being
trampled on sustained him, and his
head was growing light. Then his an
tagonist, who was bent upon his in
jury or capture, infuriated at being
held OF 80 long by this mere slip of
boy, managed to get leg hold upon
Pedro. 1t was too much, and the boy g
courage gave way.
"Au soucceur!" he screamed. "A
moi, Beau-Jeani Au soucceur!"
Then somehow, he never quite knew
In what manner, the giant was beside
him, and the black menacing shape of
, the other man hurled through space
and landed among his fellows, scatter
ing the fighters for an instant. Then
Hills voice arose again, and this time,
Pedro, leaning breathless and painting
against the house, heard and under.
stood.
open the window" Hill was yell.
Ing, ITS fastened from the outside.
Open the window!"
With aching arms, Pedro strove to
obey, but the heavy iron bar that held
the galvanized shutters closed, re-
, sisted his effort. Beau-Jean, mean
while, was veritable windmill, and
one of the stevedores had ranged him.
self beside the Frenchman, feeling, no
doubt, that it was desirable to fight
with, rather than against, this power.
full person.
"Open the wirdow!" yelled HAl
ceaselessly. Pedro bent all his strength
to another effort, and at the same mo.
ment there came to his ear, the rap
/ ping of the lone policeman's cub upon
the pavement, a signal that was not
wholly without effect upon the entire
crowd. Again the heavy iron bar of
the shutter lifted an inch or two, and
again 1t slipped back into its socket.
Then some one struck him upon the
shoulder and turning to defend him
self, he looked up into the fat dripping
face of Mr.. Lovejoy.
God bless mel" puffed that worthy,
! that was a near thing! Thought you
was the enemy!" Pedro managed to
gasp:
, "The shutter-bar! Help mel"
In the twinkling Of an eye the heavy
iron lath had been extracted and was
being brandished over the lunch-wag-
oners head, a deadly weapon that
swept a space clear about the window
which now burst open to emit the dis.
heveled furious figure Of Samuel HILL
: who was armed with an improvised
cudgel, evidently the leg Of a table
, taken from the furnishings Of his
prison.
! United we stand!" he shouted
springing into the fight with relish
Then came q cry that was echoed on
I all sides.
! "The reserves, the reserves. the DO.
lice!" and the crowd began to scatter
Almost as masically as they had
been surrounded, they were left alone
but now, to be 30 left was fraught with
! almost az many dangers as had beset
; them q moment sooner; for that the
police should not lay hands upon them
, was the paramount thought in the
minds Of all. Hill was the first to act
"This way!" he called, darting of
toward an nllighted. ill-paved street.
fanked only by poster-covered fences.
BY great good luck the rescue party
managed to escape pursuit, and In less
than half an hour they we're seated
| faconoUhot weary hut aynapf for a