Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-25
ing in for the beach towing life

. boat
/ SO Ramon had been rescued:
Dropping Nat on his belly. Phillip
suuir,ncd forward TO a point on the
lip of tin" Cliff. whence II WAS pos
Sih!" to Shy down upon the clearing.
OF the number OF negroes who had
stood guard before thc mouth of the
cave earlier in tho day, perhaps half
remained on duty. And as Philip
looked down to count them. - negro
boy ran up tho path from the village
shricking tho news that tho schooner
had returned, with the upshot that all
but t"o OF the guards promptly fol-
lowed the boy back along the oath T.,
the beach.
Now. If ever. was his chance rhiiip
selected a Sizablc rock. about AS hi:,
as q mans head. poised il carefully.
aud let ii fan. Truly aimed. il struck
Ia" ono guard armed with "A muskct
IN the head, and promptly rendered him
horS tic combat.
Even AS the negro fell Philip saw
iG"n Lopez dart from the mouth Of
tho cave like wild beast from tho
open door OF it's cage and attack tho
remaining Euard-a huge brute Of q
black armed with ma chctc.
In tho struggle that followed Juan
narrowly escaped being cut down rha,
n" did escape was due solely to Philip
"ho--noi daring I" hurl another rock
Tor fear lest it hit the wrong man
a..
landing with terrific force on the back
Of the negro and crushing him sense
loss to the ground.
Snatch'IiS up the machctc and lcav-
ing tho muskct TO Juan Lopez Philip
hurried into the cave, meeting near
the mouth of it's neck his princess. fol-
lowed by the Savatz woman and Mr.
Nicholas.
Tic emergency permitted no DELAYS
Tor consratuiatton or demonstrations
OF affection. Almost cavalicrly PhiIip
thrust the woman he loved behind hin,
and communicated to tho mate of the
Samaritan his tidincs
TWO minutes later the little party
was run.:dng franticallv backward
down the path.
When II had covered perhaps half
the distance to the shore n growing
ciamor Of cries warned Philip tina; the
"reckcrs had landed from tho schooner
ana were making promptly for the
cave.
Hastily sccrctinS themselves in the
jungle beside the path. the fugitivcs
lay hrcathlcsSly pcrdu while :; rahblo
Of drunken negroes streaming inland
foilowinE Ramon, tho negro foremast-
hand. and the leader OF the wrcckcrs-
terrifying vision Or brutal. bcstial
faces revealed by the fare OF torches.
For already the sudden tropic night
had closed down upon the island and
the sea.
ON the heels OF that rabblc pressed
another. composed Of the women and
children OF the village. together with
the men who had been left on tho
island.
"'hcn all had passed the fugftives
emerged from tho jungle and again
took tho path TO the sea.
They met not a soul on route and
came out eventually on tho broad.
sandy beach to find it altogether de-
scrtcd--thc boats of tho wrcckers
drawn UP. but never man to guard
them.
NJ the same time. from the interior
of the island. rose a blood-curdltns
chorus OF yclls. signalling tho discov-
cry OF the slain guards and tho empty
cave.
About half "A mile OF shore tho
Shadowy shape Of the Samaritan. rid
ing at anchor without light. was bare
y pcrccptiblc in dark relief against
the starlit waters.
Launching one OF the schooncr's life
boats in panic haste, the five embarked
i'm 1T, Julia taking the tillcr while tho
othcrS-including tho Savat2, now Il
thoroughly frightened woman---bcnt to
tho oars.
They rowcd like mad things: but
their utmost efforts did not avail to
set them aboard the deserted vessel
before the rabb!r rcappcarc,l on tho
Dcatn. some CONFUSION ana CONNECT OF
authority seemed to follow. Judging by
the way the torches flicllcrcd crratical-
~ UP and down the beach between tho
village and the boats. and the inccs-
SAINT uproar Of voices. 5ut some sort
OF order was resolved all too quickly
The fugitiNcS were allowed no time
in which TO hoist the sails and weigh
the anchor before the notilla of
beached boats was once more launched
and headed for the schooner.
Dcferring to tho advice of Nicholas
Phil ordered the women and Juan
Lopez back into the lifc-boa,, then
towed IL by its painter round TO the
ofishOrc flank Of tho schooner. where
he waited till Nicholas. who had dart
cd below on some mysterious business
rcappcarcd.
cast off, painted the mate. We've
got less than tive minutes. timed
tho fuse 10 let those devils get aboard
before it sets Oft the dynamite and
blow them back TO the hell that
spawned them"
lie dropped over tho side INTO tho
lifehoat he spoke. Philip followed