Part 51 (1/2)

The backs of the leading files obstructed his view, but now that they weredown a narrow lane the air throbbed with the sound of their advance Rifle slings rattled, feet fell with a rapid beat, and now and then an order broke through the jingle of steel Then a shot rang out and theout here and there, with the intention, Cliffe supposed, of occupying friendly houses A little later, the advance guard swung out into a wider street, and a group ofup the pavement; it had been loosened beforehand, and the stones ca furniture out of the houses They worked frantically, though they were fired at, and Cliffe could hear the bullets splash upon the stones

For thehalf naked, but there were a nuht, however, was diuish as they flitted to and fro with their loads or plied the shovel A barricade was rising fast, but the alarm had spread Detached shouts and a confused uproar rolled across the town, the call of bugles joined in, and the sharp clang of the rifles grew ined that the roofs farther on were occupied by the troops Go into action

The attack had obviously been well tied with the cooperation of revolutionaries in the town, but while the rebels had gained an entrance, they seemed unable to follow up their success, and it reround until reenforce useful, Cliffe sat down on the pavearette He did not feel the nervousness he had expected, but he was tired and hungry

It was four o'clock on the previous afternoon when he shared the officers' frugal dinner, and he had eaten nothing since There was no use in speculating about as likely to happen in the next few hours, but he h alive

Then, as he watched the blurred figures swar like ants about the barricade, he broke into a dry smile, for the situation had an ironically huht hi a horde of frenzied rebels to overthrow the governe sums of money This was a novelty in the way of finance Moreover, it was strange that he should derive a quiet satisfaction from the touch of the rifle balanced across his knees He was better used to the scatter-gun, and did not altogether understand the sights, but he was determined to shoot as well as he could

An opportunity was soon offered hi and jostling he squeezed his of a table on the top of the barricade A ragged desperado, who scowled furiously and used what seee, had contested the position with him, and it struck Cliffe as remarkable that he should have taken so et shot He was there, however, and thought he couldup to a couple hundred yards

He had got coe to support the rifle, when a body of men in white uniform appeared at the other end of the street An officer with sword drawn marched at their head, but they did not seeular order The distances were uneven, and soled toward the side of the street, where it was darker close to the walls Cliffe syh he felt steadier than he had thought possible

A rifle flashed on a roof and others answered froray vapor that vanished al It looked as if the rebels had obtained good powder After a fewclose above his head, and there was a crash as a man behind him fell backward Then he felt his rifle juh he was not otherwise conscious that he had fired He er by instinct, but he did not try to ascertain the result of his shot He had not come to that yet

There was a sharp patter on the front of the barricade and splinters sprang fros So his head cautiously, he saw that a nu from the roofs, while the rest ran steadily up the street Theyhis chin upon the stock, he stiffened his arer

After this, he was too busy to retain a clear impression of what happened His rifle juot hot, his shoulder felt sore, and he found he e-belt because the nearer clips were e; the separate advancing figures he gazed at through the notch of the rear sight monopolized his attention, but there was thin smoke and dust about, and he could not see them well It seemed curious that they had not reached the barricade, and he felt angry with theradually slackened and died away

Everything see back down the street in disorder The rebels had held their ground; the attack had failed

After a few moments, he noticed that the sun shone down between the houses and it was getting hot He felt thirsty, and the glare hurt his eyes, which s about the spot All the soldiers, however, had not gone back; several lay in strange, slack attitudes near the front of the barricade, and a rebel who sprang down, perhaps with the object of securing fresh cartridges, suddenly dropped The rest lay close and left the fallen alone Then a tall priest in threadbare cassock and clumsy raw-hide shoes came out of a house and with the help of two or three others carried the victiustin

Soon afterward a arette, and he sh his mouth was dry and the tobacco had a bitter taste The heat was getting worse and his head began to ache, but he was busy wondering ould happen next Gomez must have more troops than the handful he had sent; the rebels could not hold the position against a strong force, and their supports had not arrived He hoped Gouns

Suddenly the attack reco that broke out farther up the street suggested that the revolutionaries were being attacked in flank Soan to look behind theot steadier when an officer called out; and Cliffe understood that a detachment had been sent back to protect their rear In theon They were slouching, untidy fellows, but their brown faces were savage, and Cliffe knew they et in It was, however, his business to keep them out, and he fired as fast as he could load When the barrel got so hot that he could hardly touch it, he paused to cool the open breach and anxiously looked about

The street seeures, but they had opened out, and in the gaps he could see the dazzling stones over which the hot air danced There was a gleaht steel in the sun, and he noticed that the walls were scarred Raw spots marked where the chipped ash had fallen off and the adobe showed through But there was no tierously near

Finding he could now hold his rifle, Cliffe snapped in a cartridge and closed the breach Then he spent a few tense minutes The enemy reached the foot of the barrier and climbed up Rifles flashed fro the top of the barricade, and one or two of the defenders, perhaps stung by s wounds or maddened by excitement, leaped doith clubbed weapons and disappeared Cliffe kept his place between the table legs and pulled round his cartridge-belt

The tension could not last Flesh and blood could not stand it He understood why thedeath He hoped his own nerve was norle was not decided soon, he could not answer for himself He e the attackers with an e white figures seeed fro the barricade The troops were going back, running not retiring, and trying to break into houses from which men with rude weapons thrust theents now

Soon the priest reappeared, and Cliffe left his post and sat dohere there was a strip of shade He had helped to beat off two attacks, but he was doubtful about the third While he rested, a fat, swarthy woht him a cup of _cana_, and he was surprised when he sa much of the fiery spirit he had drunk The woman smiled, and went on to the nexthe had been fighting, for he found his watch had stopped; but the sun was not high yet After all, the reenforceht arrive in time While he comforted hi a trench behind the barricade, and citizens, loading the earth into baskets, carried it off Cliffe did not knohat this was for, but he supposed the baskets would be used to strengthen defenses so time since he had handled a spade, but if they needed his help he could dig

Pulling himself up with an effort, he took a tool from a breathless man and set to work

After a ti An officer signed hi the papers fro a lish, asked him what the noticethat, as the people had serious ground for dissatisfaction with the President's administration and were deter citizens, who had urged hieneral arievances

”So the dog turns on his master!” the translator reue would be worse!”

The insurgent leader, standing on top of the barricade, read the proclamation in a loud, ironical voice, and when he tore it up with a dra down the street shohat all who heard it thought of Gomez's claier with stones as he hurriedly retired, until a few shots froht the soldiers! Altiera should have been his own paymaster,” the man whom Cliffe had questioned re was quiet, but Cliffe felt uneasy One could not tell what Go, but it was plain that he must make a resolute atteainst the President He round when hemove As his terms had been scornfully rejected, the country would soon be devastated by three hostile factions, which would ot that he was thirsty and there was a pain in his left side brought on by want of food If help did not come by sunset, his friends would be overwhelht