Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1919-10-10

"And If I refuseP
"Then, of course, we shall be COM
PEELED to shut your mouth for you.
Self-preservation is the first law"
looked about at them both, scarce
ly able to distinguish clearly even
their outlines in the dense gloom, The
seriousness of the situation, coupled
with my helplessness, and inability to
achieve the object proposed, was very
evident. It might, under the circum-
stances, have been the part Of wisdom
for me to have sought some means Of
compromise, but l was young, and hot,
fiery blood swept through my veins.
The words of Kirby stung me with
their breath of insult-his sneering, in
solent offer to pay me to remain still.
"You must rank me as one Of your
own kind" | burst forth. "Now you
listen to a plain word from me. If
that was intended as an offer, refuse
it. You, and your confederate, have
coolly robbed Beaucaire, and propose
to get away with the spoils Perhaps
you WILL but that end will not be &C
complished through any assistance Of
mine. At first l only felt slight In
terest in the affair, but from now on
am going to fight you fellows with
every weapon possess"
Kirby chuckled, apparently greatly
| amused.
"Quite glad, I am sure, for the dec
laratlon of war. Fighting has always
agreed with me. Might l ask the ma
ture Of those weapons?
"That remains for you to discover
calculated sharply, exasperated by
his evident contempt. Carver, take
your dirty hands off Of me"
In spite of the fact Of their threat
the ready pistol pressing against my
ribs the grip Of Carver's fingers at my
throat, l did not anticipate any actua
assault. That either would really dare
injure me seemed preposterous. In
deed my impression was, that Kirby
felt such indifference toward my at
tempt to block his plan, that he would
permit me to pass without opposition
certainly without the slightest resor
to violence. The action of the two wa
so swift, so concerted, as though a
some secret signal, that, almost befor'
l realized their purpose, they held M
helplessly struggling, and had forcet
me back against the low rail- Her
| endeavored to break away, to shou
an alarm, but was already too late
Carvers hands closed remorseIessl
on my throat, and, when | managed t
strike out madly with one free fist. tn
butt Of Kirbys pistol descended on m
head, so decorating my scalp the driI
ping blood blinded my eyes. The bloN
partially stunned me, and l half fel
clutching at the rail, yet dimly cor
scious that the two stralnlng me
, were uplifting my useless body, Carve
swearing viciously as he helped
thrust me outward over the woode
. bar. The next instant fell, the sneeI
ing cackle of Kirby's laugh Of trump
t echoing in my ears until drowned /
the splash as l struck the black waite
t below.
| ] came back to the surface daze
and weakened. yet sufficiently col
, scious to make an intelligent strugg
4 for life. The over-hang Of the rapid
t passing boat still concealed me fro
o the observation of those above on Il
t deck, and the advantage Of permlttlr
f them to believe that the blow on II
e head had resulted In drowning, I
!, gether with the knowledge that | mu
r swiftly get beyond the stroke Of TIL
n deadly wheel, flashed instantly throus
e my brain. 1t was like tonic, reyiyh
n every energy. Waiting only to inhh
d one deep breath of air, I plunged ba'
once more into the depths, and swA
n strongly under water. The efro
K proved successful, for when I aga
s. yentured to emerge, gasplng and g
e hausted, the little Warrior had swe
h past, and become merely shapele
p outline, barely visible above the FL
n face of the river.
Slowly treadlng water, my lips he
lie barely above the surface, | drew
ID deep draughts of cool night air, l
TX mind becoming more active as hope
/? turned. The blow l had received W
2? savage one, and panied DULY, but t
cold water in which I had been /
t. mersed had caused the bleeding
le cease, and likewise revived all my fl
r. uteS. The very fact that no effort "
made to stop was sufficient proof ii
IN ThrocSmortOn in the wheelhOuse
manned unconscious of what had
/ Cured on the deck below. Ny II
might never be discovered, or suspe
Of ed. l was alone, submerged In
.ic great river, the stars overhead ale
x piercing the night shadows.
1t, swept by me, white bursts Of spray
ed Illuminating its sides, and | grappled
20, gratefully, my fingers finding grip
ot the sodden bark. Using this for y
lie. tial support, and ceaslng to battle
~. desperately against the down-sweep
l the current, / managed finally to VIZ
is my way into an eddy, struggling
so ward until my feet at last toucl
an bottom at the end of low, outer
lot ping point of sand. This proved to