The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1916-02-02


ing stealthily toward the
6oor of the guard house.
Gently pressed It open a crack:
enough to discover a dozen blacks
stretched upon their silks In profound
plumber. At tho far side OF the room
q rack held the swords and firearms
OF tho men.
warily I pushed the door n tribe
wider TO admit my body. A hinge
gave out a resentful groan. Ono OF
the men stirred. and my heart stood
still. I cursed myself for a fool to
have thus jeopardized our chances
for escape, but there was nothing
for II now but to see the adventure
through.
with spring rs swift and as
noisless as a tigers i lit beside the
guardsman who had moved. My
hands lowered above his throat await
ing the moment that his eyes should
open.
For what seemed an eternity TO my
overwrought nerves / remained poised
thus. Then the fellow turned again
upon his side and resumed the even
respiration OF deep slumber.
Carefully picked my way between
and over the soldiers until mad
gained the rack at the far side OF the
room. Here l turned to survey the
sleeping men.
All were quiet. Their regular
breathing rose and fell in soothing
rhythm that seemed TO me the sweet
est music had ever heard.
Gingerly drew a long-sword from
the rack. The scraping of the scap-
bard against its holder as l with
drew 1t sounded lie the filing OF cast
iron with a great rasp. and looked
10 see the room Immediately filled
with alarmed and attacking guards
men. But none stirred.
The second sword withdrew noise-
lessly, but the third clanked in Its
scabbard with frightful din.
knew that 1t must awaken some oil
tho men at least, and was on the
point of forestalling their attack 10y
n rapid charge for the doorway
when again. to my SURPRISE not
black moved.
Either y were wondrous heavy
sleopers else tho noises that
made were really much less than they
scanned TO me.
I was about 10 leave the rack wher
my attention was attracted by th'
xevolvers. I know that / could no
carry moro than one away with me
for / was already too heavily laaei
20 move quietly with any degree o
safety or speed.
A. I took one OF them from Its plr
my eye fell for the first time on al
open window beside the rack. An
here was a splendid means OF escape
for 1t let directly upon the dock. no
twenty feet from the waters edge
4 And as i congratulated myself
heard the door opposite me open; an'
there, looking me fun In the race
stood the officer OF the guard. RI
eyidently took IN tho situation at
glance and appreciated the graVit!
OF Il as quickly as j. for our rovoi
yers came up simultaneously, and I'M
sounds of the two reports were a.
one "A we touched the buttons on TIT
xr1ps that exploded the cartridges.
felt the wind OF his bullet as
whizEed past my ear, and at the sam
instant l saw him crumple 10 TN
ground. Where i hit him l DO no
Know, nor II 1 killed him. Tor scare
7 had he started 20 collapse Whtn
was through the window at my rea y
Oraean closed above my head, ana Tn
three OF us were making for the htti
flyer O hundred yards away.
Xodar was burdened with the DO,
and with the three long swords; IN
revolver had dropped so that whii
we were both strong swinniers,
seemed to me that we moved at
snail's pace through the water. wa
swimming entirely beneath the sur
face. but Xodar was compelled 10 IT'S
often TO let the youth breathe, SO !
was a wonder that wo were not ais
covered long before we were
in fact we reached che boats SD
and were all aboard before the watcI
upon the battleship. reused by u
shots. detected us, Then an aldrl
Gun beloved from the ships bow u
deep boom reverberating III dehtenln
tones beneath the rocky dome
Omean. .,,a
were awake. The decks OF thou
sand monster craft teemed with ngit
ing men, for an alarm on Omean wa
a thing OF rare occurrence,
We cast away before the SOUND Q
tho first gun had died ana anotbe
second saw us rising swiftly from IN
surface Of the sea. ! lay at fun lengt
along the deck with the lever an
buttons of control before me.
Xodar and the boy were stretche
directly behind me, prone also. tina
we might offer as little resistance I
the air as possible.
rise high" whispered Xoda
",rhey dare not fire their heavy gun
toward tho dome-the fragments {
the Shells would drop back anon
their own craft, IL we are high on
keelpiates will protect us from rifl
fire"
I did as he babe. Below us We coul
\ sec the men leaping into the water b
hundreds and striking out for IN
\ small cruisers and one-man flyers ths
e lay moored about the big ships. Tn
larger craft were getting under wa,
following US rapidly, but not r4sin
from the water.
"a little To your right" erie
xodar. for there are no points OF CON
Pass upon Omean, where every d
t. Ia.