The Argosy, Vol. 76, No. 3 — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

608 all the instantaneous response of brain and eye and finger that enabled him to place those steel-jacketed messengers where they were most needed. He saw five men go down, and: he was vaguely aware of Kow Lung gazing at him in an awe-struck way that at any other time would have compelled his mirth. “More better use gun than ax. Eh, Kow Lung?” “More better.”” Kow Lung nodded grave approbation as he quietly stepped back of Oakes to avoid stepping on his shadow. “ Ax good, though. My no see man shoot likee that one time. Maybe so you can shoot all day; can keep Chinese mans black of sampan, an’ no let him glet water; so makee him go ’way. Maybe so him all die.” “By Jove, that is a good idea. But even if we can keep them behind the sampan till dark, what can we do then —what can we do then?” | And all through the long, hot hours of the morning, while the two rifles held the sweating, swearing wreckers behind the sampan, his mind dwelled upon that phase of the problem that now presented itself to him. They on their part were not silent. They had arms and the best intention in the world of using them as their scattered volleys told, but the range was long—for them—and their aim- ing was poor, and the bullets either tore up the sand between the shore and the rocks or whistled harmlessly over- head, making Marjorie duck her pretty, head more than once to the ugly whistle as they passed. “When you can hear them, they have passed you,” said Jim quietly. “‘Tt’s those that you do not hear that do the harm. Keep well’down, Mar- jorie. If they see you it will give them an idea of the true range and they might get one of us by accident. In the mean time—I’ll—just—see what I can do to stop—that.” “That”? was a man of the crew who, encouraged by the cessation of the rifle fire from among the rocks, had ‘THE ARGOSY. got a piece of board and with it was scraping a shallow trencn in the sand, along which he evidently proposed to crawl to the shelter of the rocks, where he could have a flanking fire on the defenders. The steel-jacketed bullet ripped its ‘way through the loose sand, and they heard the man grunt from the force of the impact as he stretched out once and—lay still. Hour after hour passed till noon was a thing of the past and the long shadows of the afternoon drew ‘cool across the rocks. Suddenly Kow Lung rose to a kneeling position and stretched out his hand to the east. “Take look see!” he whispered. “My think Kow Lung see smoke. “Look see!” It was smoke beyond all doubt. A thick ‘plume of heavy, greasy black smoke fairly oozed above the line of the brush at the end of the island; a column of smoke that even the heavy sea-wind did not disperse. “It’s a steamer of some kind,” mut- tered Oakes, bending once more to his rifle. “I only hope we can attract her attention. Here, Kow Lung—take the blankets yonder and— Here!” He opened the butt-plate of his rifle and emptied into the hand of the wait- ing Kow Lung the little oil-can that all rifles carry in the hollow of their stocks. | “Put that oil on the blanket and set fire to it, Kow Lung. Make good fire. Good joss number one time. Sabee?” ““My sabbee.” The oil trickled slowly over the end of the blanket, and for a moment Kow Lung cupped his hands as the tiny flame caught. It wound its way up through the light blanket, and presently Oakes, looking over his shoulder, saw a column of heavy black smoke shoot up into the sky behind him. In that moment he was aware of a sudden stir behind the sampan. They, too, had seen the smoke at sea and, better than he, they fealized what it meant. COMicdoo S CO@