The Lamar register., 1919-04-09

Made No Cry, No Struggle.
perceive only dim figures. n riot or
men. battling furiously hand TO hand,
yet out OF the ruck lOomed through
the darkness In larger outlines than
the others-Cochose. the negro.
leaped at the fellow and struck with
the keen knife. missing the heart but
plunging the blade deep into the flesh
of the shoulder. The next instant l
was in a bears grip, the very breath
crushed out of me, yet. by some
chance, my one arm remained free,
and 1 drove the sharp steel into him
twice before he forced the weapon
from my fingers. l thrust an elbow
beneath the brute's chin, and thus
forced his head back until the neck
cracked.
He was too strong. too immense of
stature. Apparently unweakened by
his wounds. the giant negro. thor
oughly aroused. exerted his mighty
muscles, and, despite my utmost effort
at resistance, thrust me back against
the stern rail, where the weight of his
body pinned me helplessly. With
roar of rage he drove his huge fist into
my face. but happily was too close to
give much force to the blow. My own
hands. gripping the neckband of his
coarse shirt, twisted 1t tight about the
great throat until, In desperation.
painting for breath. the huge brute
actually lifted me In his arms and
hurled me backward headlong over
the rail. ] struck something as l fell.
yet rebounding from this splashed into
the deep water and went down so
nearly unconscious as to make not
even the slightest struggle. And yet I
came up once more to the surface,
arising by sheer chance directly be-
meath the small dory-which my body
must have struck as fell-towing by
II painter astern of the sloop. and for
tunately retained sense enough 10
cling desperately to this first thing my
hands touched. and thus remained con-
cealed.
The dory caught In some current.
fioated at the very extremity of Its
slender towline, and In consequence
the sloop appeared little more than Ii
mere smudge, when my eyes endeav-
ored to discover its outlines. Evi-
IDENTIFY the bloody work had been com
pleted, for now all was silent on board
Then came the voice of Estnda In a
gruff inquiry:
$50 you are hiding here. CochoSei
What are you looking for In the Scai"
"Whatl Why that id English
man. Mon Dieui He fought me like
u mad rat"
The Englishman, you say? He was
here then? 1t was he you bntiled
withi What became Of the fellow;"
"He went down there. senor. The
dog stabbed me three times. Ii was
either he or 1 to GO"
You mean you threw him over
board?"
not a breath left In his d-d body.
He's never come up even-rve watched
and there has not been so much as a
ripple where he sank"
The two must have hung in silence
over the rail staring down. | dared
not advance my head to look. nor even
move "A muscle Of my body in the
water.
How came you aft hereT'
Because that fellow leaped the rail
from the wharf. 1 saw him. and we
met at the wheel"
From the wharf, you say? He was
not aboard, then? Santa Maria. l
know not what that may mean. Yet
what difference. SO he he dead. An
icrson, Mendez. throw that carriou
pverboard-no. bullies. never mind
let them lie where they are, and sinh
IN anger in the sloop's bottom. Wha.
is that out yonder, Cochose?'
"A small boat, senor-a dory, make
it,"
"Cut the rope and send it adrift
Now come along with me-"
The darker loom. of the sloop vnr
ished slowly, as the slight curr'-i
sweeping about the end Of the wharf
drlfled the released boat to which
chung outward into the bay. There
was scarcely ripple TO The sea. and
yet I felt that the boat wns steadily
drifting out Into deep water. / was
sim strangely weak. barely able to re-