The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 3 — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

560 THE MUTINY ON THE FLYING CLOUD. 80, without another word, the two friends turned and stood at bay, finding time to bring down two of their foes before they were closed with. : And then began a battle, fierce and grim—sixteen Malays to two Americans. Luckily forthe smaller party, the Malays had, at the beginning of the dis- turbance, emptied their pieces ineffectually, and had found no time to reload them, while Henderson had provided himself, in addition to the two repeat- ing rifles, with a brace of loaded chambered revolvers, one of which he now handed to Grant. With these and their clubbed rifles the two men fought so desperately, that not only were the Malays effectually checked in their at- tempt at an outflanking movement, but actually foiled in their intention to bear down the two men by sheer force of numbers and brute strength, Swinging their rifles club-wise with one hand, and firing their revolvers with the other whenever they saw a chance of making a shot tell, the two wrought such terrible execution that at length the Malays drew back confounded. At this moment a cheer was heard close at hand, and in another instant up dashed Manners and Nicholls, breathless with hard running, and placed themselves on each side of their countrymen. " Now let us give them a volley!’ cried Grant—who, his blood fairly , boiling at the recollection of the past night, had been fightin g like a demon— and, at the word, up went the four rifles to the ‘‘ present.”’ ‘' Choose each his man !’’ ordered the inexorable engineer ; and then out rang the four pieces, leaving three foes the less to deal with. Hark ! what was that? Not an echo of the rifle shots, surely ; no, it was the doom of a distant gun, unless the ears of all strangely deceived them. Whatever it was, the Malays also heard the sound, and, looking for an instant in consternation at one another, wavered, turned, and fled. ‘Hurrah!’ cried Grant exultantly, ‘‘ rescue is at hand. After. the rascals, and give them a lesson they will never forget !”’ | It was perhaps an imprudent thing to do, but away after the flying foe went the four men, popping away with their revolvers, and so severely gall- ing the Malays that sauve gui peut quickly became the word with the latter, who now evidently thought of nothing but how to reach their boats alive. One in his frantic haste stumbled and fell, revealing his features to Grant as he did so. It was the wretch who had so cruelly ill treated little Percy. With a couple of bounds the engineer was upon him. Wresting the creese from the fellow’s hand, Grant seized him by the collar and dragged him along the ground, writhing, to a clump of canes growing close at -hand. With his foot on the man’s neck to keep him down, the engineer then cut with the creese a stout, pliant cane, lifted the wretch to his feet by main strength, and, dropping his weapons to the ground, and still retaining his grip upon the fellow’s collar, deliberately thrashed him until the cane was split into ribbons and the clothes literally cut from his back, finally dismiss- ing him witha kick which—apart from the thrashing-—it is safe to say that Malay will never forget so long as life shall last. CEOMMMKEl OCOKS