Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-11-30

uleQ away ere IL was repeated anC
repeated from without in a scatter.
ing volley, shot behind shot, like q
string of geese, from every side Of
the Enclosure. Several bullets STRUCK
the log house, but not one entered
and as the smoke cleared away and
vanished, the stockade and the woods
around it looked as quiet and empty
as before. Not a bough waved not
the CLEAN of a musket-barrel be-
trayed the presence of our foes.
did you hit your MANI" asked
the captain.
mo, sir replied Joyce. 81 believe
not, sir"
Next best thing to tell the truth, "
muttered Captain Smollett. LOAD
his gun, Hawkins. How many should
you say there were on your side, doc
tori"
81 know precisely" said Doctor
Livesey. "Three shots were fired on
this side. l saw the three flashes
two close together-one farther to
the west"
'Three!" repeated the captain.
And how many on yours, Mr.. Ire
lawney?"
But this was not so easily an
swered. There had come many from
the north-seVen, by the squire's
computation; eight or nine, accord
ing to Gray. From the east and west
only a single shot had been fired. 1t
was plain, therefore, that the attack
would be developed from the north,
and that on the other three sides
we were only to be annoyed by a
show of hostilities. But Captain
Smollett made no change in his ar
rangements. If the mutineers sue
ceeded in crossing the stockade, he
argued, they would take advantage
of any unprotected loop-hole, and
shoot us down like rats in our own
stronghold.
Nor had we much time left to us
for thought. Suddenly, with a loud
huzza, little cloud of pirates leaped
from the woods on the north side,
and ran straight on the stockade. At
the same moment, the fire was once
more opened from the woods, and a
rifle-ball sung through the doorway
and knocked the doctors musket in
to bits.
The boarders swarmed over the
fence like monkeys. Squire and
Gray fired again and yet again; three
men fell, one forward into the in
closure, two back on the outside.
But of these, one was evidently more
frightened than hurt, for he was on
his feet again in a crack, and in
stantly disappeared among the trees. |
Two had bit the dust, one had fled, |
four had made good their footing in
side our defenses; while from the |
shelter of the woods seven or eight |
men, each evidently supplied with |
several muskets, kept up a hot |
though useless fire on the log house. |
The four who had boarded made
straight before them for the build
ing, shouting as they ran, and the
men among the trees shouted back
to encourage them. Several shots
were fired, but such was the hurry
of the marksmen, that not one APP
peared to have taken effect. In
moment the four pirates had
swarmed up the mound and were up
on US.
The head of Job Anderson, the
boat-swain appeared at the middle
loop-hole.
AT 'em, all hands-all hands!" he
roared in a voice of thunder.
At the same moment another pi-
rate grasped Hunters musket by the
wrenched it from his hands,
plucked it through the loop-hole, and
with one stunning blow, laid the
poor fellow senseless on the floor.
Meanwhile a third, running un-
harmed all round the house, APP
peared suddenly in the doorway, and
fell with his cutlass on the doctor.
Our position was utterly reversed.
4 monet since we were firing, under
cover, at an exposed enemy; now it
was we who lay uncovered, and could ]
not return a blow.
The log house was full of smoke,
10 which We owed our comparative {
safety. Cries and confusion, the '
flashes and reports of pistol-shots, {
md one loud groan, rang in my ears.
"Out, lads, QUIT and fight 'em !
n the openi Cutlassesi" cried the
captain. q
snatched cutlass from the pile, /
md someone, at the same time
matching another, gave me a cut &
.cross the knuckles which / hardly i
elt 1 dashed out of the door into t
he clear sunlight. Someone was b
lose behind, / knew not whom. d
sfght in front, the doctor was pursu- G
ng his assailant down the hill, and, p
ust as my eyes fell upon him, beat S
own his guard, and sent him n
prawling on his back, with a great t
lash across his face.
Round the house, lads! round theI t
ousei" cried the captain, and even b
n the hurly-burly perceived C
hange in his voice. o
Mechanically 1 obeyed, turned, t,
and, with my cutlass 81
aised, ran round the corner of the
ouse. Next moment 1 was face to j
ace with Anderson. He roared n
loud, and his hanger went up above
is head, flashing in the sunlight. II
had not time to be afraid, but, as it
lie blow still hung impending, leaped
a trice to one side, and missing h
" foot in the soft sand, rolled head m
ing down the slope.
When had first sailed from the to
Dor, the other mutineers had been h
Iready swarming up the palisade
make an end of us. One man, in bI
red night-eap, with his cutlass in in
is mouth, had even got upon the OF
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