The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-04

the deck like . dead dog, was Q
sight for sore eyes sight to be
recalled often and banded fibaldly
from mouth to mouth.
Out of an opening that led 90
the sleeping quarters beneath the
high prov came . vlllainous
negroid fellow, yeliOwish-brown.
with q whip stuck through the
scarf that was about his middle.
He was the overseer of the rowefs
the scourger. He saw, he halted
he gathered the meaning Of the
situation.
"Hey! You dogsl D'you want
the hides fayed off you. before
you'll move? Tackle that galley
rat and tie his handsw This to
the sailors, Of whom there were
now three.
Her first real sense Of crisis
came to Cassandra. She turned
her face quickly to Evan and her
eyes met his.
'Get to the side Of the ship
behind. me-" he said. Then he
stopped, took hold Of his own chain
with both hands, braced himself
and tore the staple clean out Of
the wood in which It was em-
bedded. It was the sort of feat
that d man can only accomplish in
life-and-death moments when his
strength goes beyond itself and he
rises, momentarily, to the level Of
the half gods. There was drip OF
blood from has hands, for the
metal links had cut the flesh Of hin
fingers to the bone. He caught up
the club that had rolled beneath
the rowing bench.
The girl was at the bulwatts
now, her hair blowing loose. She
had forgotten herself everything
save the three sailors, the half
caste scourger and the young man
who had torn himself free and
whose almost naked back, deeply
tanned, was turned toward her.
The sailors, punched together,
made q forward move. But the
half-caste, roaring out some filthy
abuse Of them, drew d knife and
charged straight at Evan. It was
q matter Of seconds now. The
young man dropped the club,
swerved aside from the aimed
knife blow, caught the half-caste's
knife hand just at the wrist with
his left hand and flung his right
arm about the others body, PIN
ming the half-caste,s left arm
against him. They swayed for d
moment or two, then lost balance
and fell together. Evan was Up.
permost. The half-Caste strove
like . pinioned devil, throwing
every ounce of his strength into
his endeavOr to plunge the knife
into the others side.
Cassandra caught d hand up to
her face, pressing the palm Of IL
against her mouth.
Not q sound came from the
chained rowers. Their eyes stared
like those Of fishes, their mouths
were half open.
The sailors had come close to
the two struggling men. One
circled them, STOPPING to seize the
end of Evans chain, his apparent
intention, being to drag the young
man off the half-caste as one dog
is dragged from another.
This was monstrous-as unen-
durable ais the leaf-shaped blush
blade of the scourger's knife.
Quick as cat Cassandra bent for
ward from the hips and snatched
up the club which Evan had
dropped and which had rolled
nearly to her feet. The end of the
chain was in the STOPPING sailors
hand-she raised the club and
struck the man on the side Of the
head with force beyond her own.
He crumpled and fell sideways.
Cassandra, her head flung up,
faced the two other sailors. Her
heart was hammering, but not
from any fear. Her eyes were
midnight black. Greek hero blood
the marvellous fighting strain.
fierce and joyous, that had written
Marathon, Thermopylae and Sala-
mis- In letters of gold upon It's
white votive altars-was alive in
her. The blood of Antipone.
Electra-of her own namesake.
Cassandra, the wild patriot-proph-
etess. She was conscious Of a
feeling Of release, Of pride I'd
of an extraordinary sort Of hap
piness.
A sound like a groan came from
the half-caste. Evan, every visi-
bic muscle Of his body braced and
taut, had twisted the mans right
,,oks1 he Hrrso~u