Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-06-18
CHAPTER 6

CHAPIER
The din became incredible; the clat
ter of shots resounded with shouts an(
yells and groans of agony, mingled
with painted prayers and imprecations
Faster ratified the reports and the ali
about Roberts head seemed alive will
kissing bullets. AS though strucl
away by the hand of some unseen imp
the topee bounded from Roberts heac
and lay few feet away with a neat
blue-black hole through it's crown. He
barely noticed the incident and cram.
med a fresh clip into the magazine
of his Lebel and shot.
Feverishly, he ripped open fresh
packet of cartridges and reloaded;
then with the heat Of battle rising in
his veins, he picked off bowling Fula
slave who had actually gained foot
hill on the north wall. There were
others behind him, great long-limbed
devils with coal-black shining faces
and bushy mops of kinky hair stand
ing in all directions. Rows of bar
barrie ornaments strung over their vast
naked chests, cleaned brightly in the
sunlight as, tulwar in hand, they
charged at the defenders. Selim, mag
nificently in his element, leaped to
meet their charge, uttering strange
war cries that had their origin in the
steaming marshes of Gambia.
The Senegalese braced his feet,
grasped his rifle by the barrel and,
twirling it about his head as an or
binary man would drumstick, charg-
ed straight at the bewildered, Wild
eyed Fulas. By his tribal scars they
knew his people-sworn enemies of
their own-and stood to meet him.
From the tower, a cursing and anx-
ious Roberts supplemented the giants
charge by dropping such men as rode
up ready to leap onto the disputed
wall.
"By God," gasped the engineer, IF
this isn't a fight, never want to see
one" Curiously enough, at that mo-
ment he remembered Anne Cleeves'
remark about the thrill of life unalloy-
ed and uncensored. A bullet passed
through the fullness of his shirt. He
dashed the sweat from his eyes and
smiled a grim, powder-stained smile
as he thought of that dainty, fragile
girl crowded among the sobbing, ter
rified women in. the courtyard. Good
thing she's gone home; he'd got to
thinking about her too much.
Then by some strange, impercep-
tible signal, the Touaregs at last abar
doned their senseless riding attack and
galloped off among the palms, urging
their camels to top speed and follow
ed by the footmen. So dazed ano
mangled by that ferocious attack were
the defenders that they failed to fol
low up their defense by moving down
the fugitives.
Selim came painting up.
"Aie! Sidi," he cried, and his eyes
glowed like those of a ferret. "The
Targui flee. Praise be to Allah! but
verify we are sorely smitten."
GLOW many of US are DOWN." de-
manded Roberts, as he set the batter
ed casque de soliel back on his heao
and prepared to descend.
"Half the tirailleurs will fight nc
more" replied the Senegalese, dabbine
at a long cut that spilled dark rec
blood over his right cheek. The dis
carded khaki jacket Roberts had once
bestowed on his follower, was rent ano
splashed with blood.
And of the villagers 2"
Selim pursued his enormous lip!
and spat contemptuously. "Ah," HI
cried, "of very many have fallen tt
the dust" Inspecting the cloth will
which he stanched his wound, he grin
ned. "Less mouths to feed, oh Sidi.
Roberts never forgot that tour h
made around the fondouk's walls. Ev
verywhere lay the sprawled and tumb
led dead, and the stonework of TIL
embrasures was everywhere splashe'
and notified with red. Here lay al
ancient villager, his once white robe
dirty and powder-burned; there wa
a tirailleur crumpled against the EN-