FOR LOVE AND GLORY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8160, 16 June 1906, Page 2

FOR LOVE AND GLORY.

CHAPTER IX.—Continued. The fringe of the dark-faced men oontinued to advance just as regularly as our party retreated, and it was evident that the only thing that restrained them from making a furious rush was the dreaded *'teppo" in the hand of the "otoko," for Ihe Jap haa about as much reaper! for a gun as any other man on oart-i. It was a iluirmingly picturesque little pti..onmia, and well worthy of being preserved on canvas. Indeed, later on Armaud was more than once of a miud to have this done, could be ruu across anyone likol.v to do justice to the striking scene. Success seemed already in their grasp, Hud' tho roil of the yacht reached under which their waiting boat fioati'd, when a new phase swept over the scene. It «vas ciMi.-K"d by tho recovery of Godaigo (rom his stunned condition, and tho flinging once more of hia gauntlet into the arena, His experience had aroused the devil that larked in his "mestizo" heart, and he looked as reckless aa though he w*'i-e shooting the dreaded rapids of Kulsunigawa. As tie f sU-Kaered up he shrieked to bis> ni<:n to cloee in on the "kumi," the foreign dogs who had dared invitr themselves aboard a Japanese gentleman's yacht, and Kick up snch high jiuks there, lanu. 1 h:»M.!s upon bis and thro-A-'iug llx'iu to feed the harbour abarka—down with the English, kill them—no lU'ttor, be stood ready to !»Hr-uiiH> »»H responsibility, he, Godaigo Takauori, high priest of Shinto, of the famous fOniT.rews Jingo, high muckamuok of the, Filipino council—kill tho dogs—no quarter—to tho knife! OHAPTSK X. TESaIB DISCOVERS A HEKO. When Annand heard the f ran tin voice of the Filipino Jap thus raised in the effort to urge his men to make a desperate attack on the little party, he was sorry he had not done him a worse evil than to temporarily knock the bicath f,om his body. Under such blandishments and objurgations it would be indeed a little short of miraculous should the crow still hang fire The dusky dogs had all the elements of desperadoes in their make up, and that they faiied to immediately precipitate themselves upon the two foreingers was due to their great respect for the weapons which our friends presented, and not on account of any compasieon. Godaigo was almost beside himself with fury at thus having his cherished plaus nipped in the bud, and by one whom he had hitherto secretly held in oontempt as a good-natured lounger, a ohap without spirit, lie ranted, and shrieked, and pleaded, and demanded, threatening the most terrible punishment in the deoalogue of a Jap sailor. Still tho crew hung (lie—better to bo a live man in disgrace than a dead fool —and those weapons bad a terribly ominous front. .Besides, ihere wero others in a boat below, mon who shouted back in anwser to these cries of the big foieiguer, and who was to tell their number, perhaps quite suifloieut to overwhelm all on board? Another thing—the poor little second officer was a liostago in the fearful grasp of that Goliath, and what evil might not befall him should they be so indiscreet as to further arouse those in whose power he lay? Ah! they had long heads those gay mariuers of the polyglot crec on board tho yacht, and could discover many a cogeut reason why it Jwere better to let tbese daring foreigners depart in peaco with the ladies than to soil tho dock with the gore of battle, simply giving themselves extra work in the scrubbing lino next day, and Buddha knew they had quite enough as it were. Arrnnnd felt liko taking his hat olf to such wise and far-seeing patriots, and could he bate onught them ashore bo would have (llledv a hat full of yen to them. it makes some difference whuso ox is .'gored, and porhaps those men, had a pretty good idea it would be their blond that must spatter the deck of the yacht. They were paid to run the boat, not risk their lives in doaporato battle for a meagre hire. That was were Godaigo happened to make a fearful blunder. While he almost wont crazy ill his efforts to urge the men on, ho entirely neglected tbo golden spur, for got to promise them double, ay treble, wages if they annihilated those dogs who had boarded him in his den. And so he lost. Even a particularly choice vocabulary of expletives will not always carry tho day,[for although Godaigo sworo in seven languages, still his men held baok. Perhaps had bo led tbo Way and started the ball rolling he might bavo Droken the spell by which they seemed to be bound; but Godaigo was aa shrewd as the next one, and well he knew how he Would he presented with the first bullet that the intruders let loose. Lead may be a remarkable commodity, but no man yearns to take it so close to heart as this. Meanwhile the others were not idle. Gordie occasionally shook his prisoner until bis teeth rattled together like Spanish castanets. It was just as well to remind the Illustrious second in command what a desperate condition he was in, and at the same time awe any of the crew who3o spirit might be urging them to make a bold dash. Armand had opened communication with the Jap boatmen below, who were given to understand that a couple of ladies wanted to embark, and that they might stand by to assist. When they loudly announced that all was ready, be turned to the girls. "Our boat is down there; have you the nerve to take bold of this rope and embark?" be asked. (To be Continued).