The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-11-07
Chapter "a
Street Fight

nAWN had broken on a clear
- day. The street contained a
few late stragglers running to-
wards the gate. One ragged Chi
nese mother on crippled feet
rushed up to Lynn, thrust her
tiny baby into the girls arms, and
scuttled off with two bricks in her
hands to join the fight.
Lynn took the infant inside and
laid it on the blankets on the
kang. It was a plump, rosy
checked little thing not old
enough to be as grimy as two
elder children that followed her.
each dressed in a single garment,
a wadded jacket. their bodies
from the waist down incredibly
chapped and filthy.
Look after them," Lynn di-
rected Peggy blithely and hurried
out again.
She saw tall ladder leading to
a parapet on the top of the wall
near the gate they had entered
the night before. On the parapet,
bricks and boulders were stacked
to ward off an attack on the gate.
Lynn climbed for the view. and
looking down on the outside,
spied something she had not ex-
pected to see.
A party of the enemy with
sword and pick and crowbar were
busy digging a hole in the mud
brick wall while the attention of
the villagers was drawn to the
farther gate. Lynn called for help.
and reaching for stack of bricks,
began hurting them down on the
men.
Their officer, who was appar-
emily preparing a charge of ex-
plosive for blasting, lifted a rifle
and shot az her. Lynn lodged
back but kept on with her often
sive She could cause some
trouble to the party because they
were working directly below her
stand.
Temu, returning from the scene
of action at the farther gate,
stared at her incredulously for a
moment and then bounded up the
ladder and glanced over the wall.
AT sight of him the leader sud-
denly became galvanized. He
shouted and aimed his rife as If
shooting to kill. At the officers
shout the other men had dropped
their tools and caught up their
weapons. The bullets came fast
and furious. Temu ducked and
pulled,Lynn down.
They recognized you'll They're
after you'll" she exclaimed.
Looks like it," he admitted
"You know there's been a fabu-
1ous reward offered for me dead
or alive"
But. how could anyone know
you are here?"
He shrugged. How does the
bee find honey? How does the
thief find money? The foolsl
They're just wasting ammunition
nowI If l could get that officerl
There may be papers on him. I'd
like to know who's back of this!
You stay down."
0AAG lE64 " Oil C4(AA0A4SC Va S&4OSS
and in a moment Temu was lean
ing over the parapet. The men
had scattered beyond range and
were dropping into the canyon
below, their comrades repulSed
at the gates accompanying them.
Lynn rose and stood beside
Temu. It was then she felt the
wetness of her garments on her
shoulder. Her eyes widened and
she reached back. Temu put two
hands on her wrist. and drawing
her to him. looked over her
shoulder.
you've been shoti"
New Problem
TEMU, in one swift movement,
l. stripped off her Mongol coat.
II didn't feel it." she marvelled,
going rather white from mental
shock. As she sank down on a
pile Of brick, he unlooped the two
buttons at the neck of her dress
and looked at the wound.
"JuSt a scratch" he said with
relief. and placing a clean. folded
handkerchief over the spot, he
helped her down the ladder. The
moment they stepped inside the
inn door, Temu directed Chan to
bring hot water and the first-aid
kit.
ooh, this terrible countryi"
Peggy groaned when he ex-
planned what had happened. will
she die?"
Lynn laughed. Try to kill me"
Temu placed a three-legged stool
for Lynn before the window from
which he punched the paper COW
ering. The baby, she noticed, lay
peacefully asleep on the kang.
Where are the other two chill
dren?" she asked.
Thank heaven. they disap-
peared." Peggy answered. What
do you think you're going to do
with this baby?"
'sBaby?" Queried Temu absent
~, tapping a dressing on Lynn's
white shoulder. &
@As If we didn't have enough
trouble already Lynn went out
and brought in a baby!" Peggy
cried bitterly.
Temu Strengthened and looked
towards the kang as Lynn ex-
planned about the whimpering in
FAINT.
Il only hope" he said in a
troubled voice. "that its mother
returns safely. Some of the Chi
hese women lost their lives. They
stlIught like tigresses."
UNHAPPY ENDING