Complete Story. Has Last Cartridge.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVIII, Issue III, 18 January 1902, Page 102

Complete Story. Has Last Cartridge.

Jim Sinclair Doctor James Sinclair pulled savagely at his beard with lingers that trembled, and looked out into the night. Fireflies flitted to and fro. a thin crescent moon had just appeared above the crest of the mountain, at the foot of which his bungalow stood. There was not a breath of air. An owl hooted from the cane brake, and he could hear the faint trickle of the narrow stream as it burrowed its way down the hillside to bury itself ingloriously in a swamp. He was alone except for little Elsie. who’ lay asleep on her cane bed in the adjoining room to his. He lifted the' tattie gently and peeped in The golden-haired mite. * m sweetest majesty of infant rest.” one dimpled arm thrown out. was fast •isleen rosilv flushed, her lips parted. For ten years Jim S nelair had been doctor in charge of the mission station at Sing-10. looking after the native converts and the missionary and his familv. and now Babson, the missionary. had gone home on leave and his successor had not been able to o-et through, for trouble was in the'air Boxer bands invested Pekin and ‘ Tientsin. Black Flags Black Wrists, the Sacred Brotherhood menaced many of the outlying stations. Fverv little village in the mountains started a small band of ruffians of its own. whose motto was. Destroy all Christians—and. above all loot. Day after day reports were brought in of fresh murders, day after da.v the bodies of native converts, most artistically carved to bits, were found on the hills. The nearest station to bing-lo was twenty Hides away, and could only be reached through’ dense jungle and swamps, and Jim Sinclair stubbornly staved on. Elsie was not over strong—she had had a touch of jungle fever too His bearers and most of the converts had fled, and an attempt to run the gauntlet and reach the coast meant almost certain death to the child. So Jim sat tight, awaiting developments, and prayed for the relief that seemed so lonsr in comin<«-. He had sent out three messen<rers during the last few days imploring help. The first returned with an ugly gash that had cut oft half his face; the second limped back into the compound and curled up and died on the verandah, and the third forgot to come back at all; after which of his few remaining boys not one. either by threats or persuasion or briberv. could be induced to venture more than a mile away from the Station—until they ran away altogether. Jim was a cool, long-leg-ged man of infinite resource, who knew not what fear meant; but there was Elsie, and he groaned aloud: and there was his wife’s grave—even his skill had not saved her. He had buried her with his own hands—no Chinaman had touched her—and had made up his mind when his time came to be buried beside her. He had led a wandering life: had had many ups and downs: but the young wife had stuck to him and seen him through, and he missed her terribly. He was alone, and the stillness maddened him. Then the bamboo gate opening on the road swung to. and his servant, shrillv babbling, came up. bowing profusely. He was perspiring and excited: he had evidently been running hard. It was some moments before he regained his breath, and then words poured forth. "You imp of Satan —I mean my Christian brother." said Jim solemnly. "vou must talk more slowly. I can’t follow you. What is up?” "I have seen four more corpses of converts on the bill. Lo and his ban I cannot be far off." "Ah. 1 saw the vultures an hour bnfk.“ said Jim. playfully fingering his revolver. He had a pair fresh out from home, and they lay on the table beside him. "And what does Lo want?” He savs you have made Ah Sing

mad with vile drugs and enchantment, ami the power of the charm that hangs over the white missey’s bed." "The i harm?” and then he suddenly remembered that a cross of platinum cr some white metal hung at the chile’s beil head. “And I’ve wasted half an ounce of chloroform over the yellow heathen when 1 took off his finger, and he tails it enchantment.” “Lo says you must give up the eharm, which works death, or he will kill you and the white missie.” "So. inv friend, you are i:i communication with Lo, are you. you baptised brute?” and before the man knew "hat was happening Jim had pinioned him by both wrists, bending him back, and something cracked. Then he shook a long double bladed knife from the Chinaman's sleeve and threw it across the verandah. "So you were going to murder me. you scum, were you?” he said to the whining Oriental, now at his feet, "(lo back to your friend Lo; perhaps he can mend a dislocated wrist —I shan't. Tell him the whites will be here in the morning, and if he sets foot within a mile of this bungalow I’ll bore a hole through him that you can drive a cart through. Now quit! ” The Chinaman rose to his feet, his right arm dangling by his side, and shuffled off. a wicked look in his black eves. Jim saw him to the gate, saw him mount the hill path, and then returned to the bungalow, head bent, hands deep in his pockets. "Oh. Heaven!" he groaned. "If only I had another white man cr two here. It’s impossible to defend this place, anyway. One fusee would set it ablaze in five minutes." and then he took up his revolvers, counted his cartridges. He had a hundred, but that number he soon reduced to ninety-eight—one for Elsie and one for himself, should it be necessary. Then he turned out the lamp on the verandah and sat waiting. It was almost dawn when Jim. who had started quietly patrolling the compound, heard the sound of a stone falling, dislodged, he thought, by a pony’s hoof. He peered through the hedge of wattle and cactus and saw a small squad of Chinese, their leader on a white pony, who drew up about a hundred yards from the house under cover of some tamarind trees and proceeded to hold counsel together. He set his teeth hard, glanced towards the house, where Elsie’s light still burned, and cocked his revolver. Then he became aware of a figure, who. without the rustle of a leaf, had made his way through a gap in the hedge and was crawling on hands and knees towards the house. Jim followed him with his eyes, every sense alert, and when he reached the steps of the verandah the Chinaman felt himself seized by the throat, while the muzzle of a revolver touching his forehead sencold thrills down his spine. Jim dragged him back into a room. “Lie there, you scum." he said, "while I light the lamp. Now. get up.” and holding the lamp aloft he surveyed the prisoner. That worthy was a tall man with deep set black eyes. He threw himself panting into a chair and then: "I have come to save Elsie, for her sake." and he glanced in the direction of the grave. “For Heaven’s sake give me a Christian drink. The Brotherhood can do nothing til! the Boss Mandarin, and that’s me. comes on the scene.” “Jim’s jaw fell: he turned suddenly. “Who on earth are you?” he said. "Do you remember the hammering you gave me at Harrow for bullying your brother' 1 Who coxed the college boat when Oriel bumped Trinity?" A sob rose in Jim’s throat. “Cassidy!" he exclaimed. They had both loved the same wo-

man. and Jim had won her—that story will he told elsewhere—and they shook hands.their rivalry buried in the grave. "How did you come to this?” asked Jim. sadly. “Don’t ask silly questions now. Jim. The old story, a gradual slide downhill —a Fenian brotherhood, a dissipated life after—after our rivalry. But never mind me, I have come to save Elsie.” "What do these yellow devils want?” "They want the charm, as they call it. from the ch.al’s beil-head. ano one interesting patient with a broken wrist has sworn to kill you. What weapons have you?” “A couple of revolvers and a tat tery that would rip the inside out of an elephant.” Cassidy thought for a moment "The very thing. Let us see the battery —and the charm.. and they went into Elsie’s b droom. "What do you want a galvanic battery out here for?" "They found some ore in the h : l! . me tme back. I have had some crushed, and am trying to invent a process for separating the ore from the dross by electricity. But never mind my battery. Can’t you palaver those yellow devils outside while 1 get Elsie off?” "It would be no good. Let us see your battery —and the charm. I fancy 1 have hit u.ion a plan: but we must hurry." and they went into Elsie's bedroom. "I want you to make haste and dress. little one." said her father. "This is an English gentleman in Chinese clothes who is going to take vou away. I will soon follow you. "Now. look here, Jim.” said Cassidy. "I am going to kidnap the child and take her to the brotherhood. I will tell them that you will give up the charm. Connect it with your battery. man alive! then set fire to the house and bolt. I wm leave my white pony for you the other side of the swamp. I shall take to the bush; I know every path.” Jim passionately kissed the rosi mouth of the child again and again. "Heaven bless and keep you. said, brokenly, an., went inti th' house. He heard the cries of exultation a Cassidy reached the brotherhood. "Behold!" he heard him cry. ’ i have brought the encnanter’s white missee. He will give up the charm in an hour. 1 will hide the missee and return to you. No finger mu t be laid upon him, or he will make you see devils, as he did Ah S:ng. Patience, my brothers. Do nothing till I return to you.’ And he rode oft’ with the child. The moment he was left alo.’.e J m sprang to work, his face twitching with excitement. Lifting the Heavy cross he placed it upright, wedging it between the boards of the verandah. Then he connected it wi h the battery. Every moment was precious. He worked with feveri h haste, and did the work thoroughly.

Outride the mob were growing impatient; their leader had not returned. They knew he was quite capable of shooting the first man who disobeyed his orders. The man with the broken wrist gabbled excitedly and felt the edge of his curved knife. Jim watched the growing excitement from between the slots of the split bamboo curtain and then hurriedly drew it up. They saw his lank, bony form on the verandah and yelled in chorus. "Here is the charm," he yelled, "come and take it. You have already got the white missee; but touch me, lift one finger, and I will make you see devils a thousand times worse than Ah Sing’s!” The unclean oily-tongued mob < f fifty ruffians surged forward across the compound, yelling like demons. A giant in front of the others laid bands upon the charm and writhed on the ground shriek.ng. Another cut at it with his long sword, and the weapon fell with a crash from his nerveless fingers. They fell back for a moment, and Jim threw his lighted pipe on some shavings in a corner and the matting was so »n on fire. The mob came on again. He tried to keep ~.e charm between him and them, but they surged round him. Then a bullet whizzed past his ear, ano his revolver spat death every time he drew trigger. The smoke was stifling him, blood motes danced before nis eyes, and then his servant, lunging forward with his left hand, cut deep into his shoulder. A moment later a lasso of raw hide encircled his neck. tie was helpless and surrounded; then he used the last cartridge in the revolver—the one he had saved for Elsie!