Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1921-10-06
(cHAPTER xVIl-Continued.)

out du lHSluHl . uSSildliOH bsNh ldLi
forward, and as he entered, put his
sword into the mans vitals, and he
fell. calling out as he fell.
"The rest will be on US now," said
Dyck, land we must keep going"
He was about to issue from the
place when three more natives ap-
peared, and he shot two without wait
ing. Catching a pistol from Sheila he
aimed at the third native and wound
ed him, but did not kill him. The man
ran into the wood surrounding the
monastery Presently more MaroOns
came-a dozen or more, and rushed
for the entrance. They were met by
Dyck's fire, and now also Sheila fired
and brought down her man. Dyck
fired again and wounded another, and
with great skill loaded again, but at
a whirlwind Of rage, rushed down into
the ruins.
1t was dark and they were aston
ished to see that Dyck was there, and
they were more astonished to receive
first one and then another-his iron
in their bowels. The third man made
a stroke at Dyck with his lance, and
did no more than cash Dyck's left
arm. Then he turned and fled out into
the open, and was met by half-dozen
others. They all were about to rush
the entrance when suddenly four
shots behind them brought three Of
them down, and the rest fled into the
wood shouting. In another moment
Dyck and the ladies were in the open,
and making for the woods, the women
in front, the men behind, loading their
muskets as they ran, and alive to the
risks of the moment.
The dresses of the ladies were
stained and soilsd with dust and
damp but otherwise they seemed lit
tie the worse for the adventure, save
that Mrs. Llyn was shaken, and her
face was ashen gray.
How did you know where we were,
and why did you Gomez" she said, aft
er they had mounted and had got un-
der way, having secured the horses
which Sheila and her mother had rid
den.
Briefly Dyck explained how, as soon
as he had dealt with the revolt of
the Maroons at his own place, he came
straight to Salem to protect her and
Sheila.
'We had not heard Of the rising Of
the Maroons," she said. "The COVER
nor was at Salem yesterday and a
message came from his staff to say he
was needed to deal with critical in
cident, and would he come at once
His staff were not at Salem, but at
the next plantation nearer to Spanish
Town. Lord Mallow went. If he suS-
pected the real trouble he said naught
10 us, but was gone before you could
realize it. The hours went by, night
came and passed, then my mother and
j, this morning, made up our minds
TO take ride to the monastery, and
then round by the road you travelled
by back to Salem"
There are MaroonS now on that
hill above Your place. They were
there in ambush when we passed to-
Gay, but we took no notice. 1t was
not wise of us to invite trouble. Some
of us would have been killed, but"
He then told what had been in his
mind, and what he thought might be
the OutcOme-the killing or capture
of the whole group, and safety for all
at Salem. His words went TO the
fartheSt corners of Sheila's nature.
When ne mad finished, she continued
her story. 1--WE rode for an hour un-
challenged, and then came the Ma
rooms. At first l knew not what to do.
We were surrounded before we could
act. | had my pistol ready, and there
was the chance TO eScape-that faint
chance-if we drove our horses on
but there was also the danger Of be-
ing fired at, and who could tell what
Il terrible end might have been to the
event. SO we sat still on our horses,
and l asked them how they dared to
assault white ladies. l asked them if
they had never thought what venge-
ance the governor would take. They
did not understand my words, but
they grasped the meaning, and one of
them, the leader, who understood Eng
lish, was inclined to have reason. AS
it was, we stopped what might have
been our murder by saying it would
be wiser to hold us as hostages, and
that we were Americans. That man
was killed-by you. A shot from your
pistol brought him down as he rushed
forward TO enter the ruins. But he
took care of Us as we went forward,
and when l shot one of his followers
for laying MS hand upon me in the
saddle-he caught me by the leg un-
der my skirt-he would allow no re-
taliatiOn. l knew bOldneSs was the
safe part TO play.
But in the end we were bound with
ropes as you found us, while they
waited for more of their people to
cOme-thOSe, no doubt, you found am
buShed on the hill. As we lay in the
kitchen, bound as you saw us, the
leader said To us we should be safe
If he could have his way, but
there were bad elements among the
MaroonS. and he could not guarantee
1t. Yet he knew the government would
pay for our release, would no doubt
.ri,.n tho lnnd for NNhinh thnu hnd