The Girl from Hong-Kong: A Story of Adventure Under Five Suns — page 320: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

334 THE GIRL FROM HONG-KONG. It is all one of those accidents that no man can guard against. They “have overwhelmed armies, and played havoc with the brilliant plans of the most noted generals. No doubt Senor Enrique and His~men have no idea of beginning the attack at this hour, when by holding their ardor in check they will be able to take the inmates of the camp by surprise later on, and capture the whole outfit without a blow. Fate designs that it shall be otherwise, and Fate gen- erally manages that things turn out to suit the fancy of no man. _ From \wvarious points they overlook the camp, and doubtless gloat over the poor fools whe seem so uncon- scious of their peril. Overconfidence plays havoc with their pine One of the fellows, growing careless, loses his equilib- rium, and, toppling over the edge, goes crashing down the face of the embankment, carrying with him a ton of earth and loose stones, more or less. This is the apparition that so suddenly disturbs the serenity of the camp. No wonder the pilgrims are startled—no wonder the nervous French woman shrieks in dismay, while the general lets loose a flood of orders and profanity mixed, for he is something of an old campaigner and can hazard a pretty accurate guess as to what this unannounced arrival signifies. Thus, as suddenly as the shooting ef a star across the blue heavens, the scene has been metamorphosed—a mo- ment since all was serene and peaceful, while now the utmost confusion exists, with horses neighing, men shout- ing and the madam trying her voice in a series of screams that would almost paralyze a gorilla. Terry realizes that it is no time for delay. This may really be the signal for attack, after all, and - the desperadoes will have swept over the camp like an avalanche unless action is quickly taken. “Forward,” he says, suiting the action to the word, and again wishing i m his heart that Doris had consented to remain a by the diligence in charge of Sandy or 'elsoe - E€omicbooks.con