Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-02-22
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attempted to rise TO his feet. Neal
assisted him. The man, his eyes wild.
pointed up the shore, started to stag
ger on then fell once more senssless
| to the ground. And Neal sped or.
At,last he found her-Inez, crouching
behind a rock. Inez. painting with fear.
tleaped into his arms. lie cast her OFF
/ for he did not understand.
Annette" she cried, they've got her
-there-that way-that way
Neal pointed down the shore. Run
there lies safety" he commanded. He
watched her while she darted warily
along the beach Then he plunged into
[ the brush and made his way inland.
Annette. numb with fear, lay CULVER
ing lust within the mouth of the cave.
/ Behind her was the dark-the unknown.
She was too terroT-stricken to move.
But she was quick-witted and she saw
and understoOd-that this terrific
/ light was helping her. She collected her
( self-she began to plan. Inch by inch
+ she crept farther into the darkness.
Without. the storm ragged. Instead of a
fight for a woman's sake. II had become
I a fight for. A fights sake. For the pres
emit Annette was ignored. She we'll knew
/ that to the victors would belong the
| spoils-but they were fighting for vic
/ tory first. And she made up her mind.
When the fight was at its hottest the
chief lunged far out in the midst of II
and left the caves mouth temporarily
uncovered Like flash Annette wrig-
sled out of tlhe cave and skunk swiftly
toward the underbrush. She reached
Il. when a figure blocked her path.
1t was Neal. With wild cry she
flung herself into his arms. But Neal
repulsed her for an instant and with
J aforethought. Almost brutality he
flung her behind him. and unshipped
his navy gun For action was at hand
one man and only one had seen Au-
nette crawl from the caves mouth and
that man was the pirate chief. As
soon as ne could disentangle himself.
/ he was away and after her. And here
he same. tearing through the under
growth with savage bounds.
Neal fired thrice-hit once-missed
twice-and then the cutthroat was up
on. him. Neal flung his gun full on the
lace of the oncoming man-and then
they clinched.
Annette. unnerved completely. sank
moaning I'm the underbrush.
IIington from the shore, heard the
shots. He looked upward and saw,
reering down at him from an eminence,
the face of his arch enemy. Her
nandez-
He shook a massive first at the face,
end the face disappeared.
| Ilington FASTENED back to the tenn
porary camp and found that the lieu
tenant ana his men were making ready
for run. Already they had signaled
the Missouri for another detail-already
they had arranged a guard for Mrs.
Hardin whom they were leaving on the
beach with Inez crouchinR at her feet.
Come on, loot" cried Ilington, leap
ing into the underground. I'm ready
for a fight I saw a head just now,
and I'm going to hit il hard"
Neal fought with fury. but his fight
was futile. So be II said, was the
fight OF the pirate chief For Meals
shots had brought the other beats
swarTning like human hornets about
their heads. Annette's temporary escape
had been discovered-they had been
cheated-vengeance was their due. They
bounced upon Neal and their chief like
harpies-Once more pandemonium reign
ed. Annette crOuched unseen-horror-
stricken.
Suddenly she shrieked aioud-for
Neal had disappeared beneath mass. of
mem. s7 -ff
She shrieked and ran like wild for the
shoEe--fOr succor. There was no fight
yln -heF--she1 swas beaten by fear. That
lsbEiek, was, fortunate for Neal His as
tsailants. left him and 'darted after her
scuTrying like wild dogs through the
brush,
And theu-crack -crack-urack-. The
BARR of a dozen navy rifles. A dozen
men plunged headlong A bullet grazed
Meals shoulder, for he too was running
with the pirates. But he never felt
I it. With a wild cry of joy he hurled
himself past his COMPOUNDED enemies
and Joined Tlington and his own men
49, e.
The blood rushed back into her heart
She loaded her automatic and, with a
fieEce joy in her heart, took aim and
/ fired, and aimed and fired again.
/ 1t was bad fight-a desperate fight
Meals men were outnumbered. Only
their GOODNESS prevented destruction
Their opponents, reckless desperadoes as
/ they were, had no ammunition-it was
their game to clinch-and clinch they
did. They were fighters pure and sim.
ple-that was their business-theo
/ fought with teeth-they broke bones
/ they twisted tendons with savage glee
And victory meant-woman.
Meantime a solitary figure skunk
through the brush and crept past all
the fighters. This was Hernandez. ling
/ ton, during a lull, saw him pass, bu.
knew not where he went. fernando:
knew. He was still hoping against hope
he still lusted blindly after treasure
/ He reached the edge of the artificial
crater and crept down a ladder and
plunged his hands-his arms, into the
living quicksilver-he tossed il into the
air.
They've never beaten me yet" he
cried, 'this is mine-all mine"
He started suddenly. Across the pit
there was a lull. And then the deadly
crack-crack-crack of rifles.
"Re-enfOrcements," he muttered.
l He was right. One boatload of ma
rines had reached the shore in another
launch, had plunged through the thicket
and had reached the conflict just in the
nick of time.
The firing lasted for some fifteen
minutes-its regularity betokened its
deadly effect. Time and again the
air was rent with piercing yells as some
\ bullet found its victim,
Then silence-ominous--p
And then a wild yell of victory-a yell
/ from the threats of the marines. The
fight was over-the fight was won.
(Continued In Next Issue)