The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-01-01
CHAPTER LxII.
Onslauqht.

Bile mistake. In MS mOmentary excite
ment he had thought to exterminate
Hernandez. But the cutthroats who
bounded into view never even saw Her
nandez. Hernandez was there, agile,
alert, ready to defend himself. But they
didn't know it.
The only thing they saw was An
nette Ilington, clutched in the mighty
grasp of their chief Like mob of
ravenous wolves they bounced upon
her. The chief beat them off.
There are two" he exclaimed,
two. The other runs free upon the
beach. This one is mine. The other
on the beach. Scatter and find her."
Some half dozen of the crew, accus-
toned to obedience, scampered off.
But not so the rest. Shoulder to Shout
der, thigh to thigh, they struggled on
after their chief holding out their
hands toward the trembling girl upon
his shoulder. Step by step he fought
his way, clutching her firmly to him,
until he reached the entrance to a
cave-his cave. He stopped to enter.
Then broke the storm.
Down on shore Neal and Ilington,
alarmed at the prolonged absence Of
Annette, had scattered-Neal secured
the beach in one direction-Ilington in
another.
At last Neal found her-Inez, crouch
ing behind rock. Inez, painting with
fear, leaped into his arms. He cast
her off-for he did not understand.
Annette" she cried, they've got
her-there-thatw ay-that way"
Annette, numb with fear, lay quiv-
ering just within the mouth of the
cave. Behind her was the dark-the
unknown. She was too terror-strick-
en- to move. But she was quick-wit-
ted and she saw-and understood
that this terrific fight was helping her.
She collected her lf-she began to
plan. Inch by inch she crept farther
into the darkness.
When the fight was al its hottest the
chief lunged far out in the midst of it
and left the caves mouth temporarily
uncovered. Like flash Annette wrig-
gled out of the cave and skunk swiftly
toward the underground. She reached
it, when figure blocked her path.
1t was Neal. With a wild cry she
flung herself into his arms. But Neal
repulsed her for the instant, and with
forethought. Almost brutally he
flung her behind him, and unshipped
his navy gun. For action was at hand.
One man and only one had seen An.
nette crawl from the caves mouth and
that man was the pirate chief. AS
soon as he could disentangle himself,
he was away and after her. And here
he came, tearing through the under.
growth with savage bounds.
Neal fired thrice-hit once-missed
twice-and then the cutthroat was up
on him.
Ilington from the shore, heard the
shots. He looked upward and saw,
peering down at him from at eminence,
the face Of his arch enemy, Her
nandez.
He shook a massive fist at the face,
and the face disappeared.
Ilington fastened back to the tenn
porary camp and found that the lieu.
tenant and his men were making ready
for a run.
Come on, loot cried Ilington. leap.
ing into the underground, I'm ready
for a fight. l saw head just now,
and I'm going to hit it hard"
Neal fought with fury, but his fight
was futile. So, be it said, was the
fight of the pirate chief. For Meals
shots had brought the other beasts
swarming like human hornets about
their heads. Annette's temporary es-
cape had been discovered-they had
been cheated-vengeance was their
due. They pounced upon Neal and
their chief like harpies-once more
pandemonium reigned Annette
crouched unseen-horror-s
Suddenly she shrieked aloud-for
Neal had disappeared beneath mass
Of men.
She shrieked and ran like wild for
the shore-for succor There was no
fight in her-she was beaten by fear
That shrek was fortunate for Neal
His assailants left him and darted af-
ter her-scurrying like wild dogs
through the brush.
And -crack-crack-.
The bark of a dozen navy rifles. A
dozen men plunged headlong.
1t was bad fight-a desperate fight.
Meals men were outnumbered.
Meantime a solitary figure skunk
through the brush and crept past all
the fighters. This was Hernandez.
llington. during a lull, saw him pass,
but knew not where he went. Her
nandez knew. He was still hoping
against hope-he still lusted blindly
after treasure. He reached the edge
OF the artificial crater and crept down
ladder and plunged into the treasure
cave. He plunged his hands-his
arms, into the living quicksilver-he
tossed it into the air.
Iheyve never beaten me yet" he
cried, this is mine-all mine"
he started suddenly. Across the pit
there was lull. And then the deadly
crack-crack-crack of rifles.
Re-enforcements," he muttered.
lie was right. One boatload of ma
rines had reached the shore in another
launch. had plunged through the thick.
ct and had reached the conflict just
in the nick of time.
CHAPTER lxlII.