The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-01-18

Caught He
Bile mistake. In his 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 upor
her. The chief beat them off.
There are two he exclaimed
two. The other runs free upon the
beach. This one is mine. The othel
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 shouI
der, thigh to thigh, they struggled or
after their chief holding out their
hands toward the trembling girl upor
his shoulder. Step by step he fought
his way, clutching her firmly to him
until he reached the entrance to 9
cave-his cave. He stopped to enter
Then broke the storm
Down on shore Neal and Ilington
alarmed at the prolonged absence oil
Annette, had scattered-Neal secured
the beach in one direction-Ilington in
another.
At last Neal found her-Inez, crouch
ing behind a 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-that way-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 herself-she began to
plan. Inch by inch she crept farther
into the darkness.
When the fight was at it's hottest the
chief 1unged 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 a figure blocked her path.
It 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 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. I saw a 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
swarming like human hornets about
their heads. Annette's temporary es-
cape had been discovered-they had
been cheated-vengeance was their
due. They bounced upon Neal and
their chief like harpies-once more
pandemonium reigned Annette
crouched MISREPRESENTATION.
Suddenly she shrieked alOud-for
Neal had disappeared beneath a 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 solitary figure skunk
through the brush and crept past all
the fighters. This was Hernandez.
Ilington, during lull, saw him pass,
but knew not where he went. Her
nandez knew. He was still hoping