The Boy Chums in the Gulf of Mexico

by Carol Norton

  CHAPTER XXX.

  BESIEGED.

  THE boys had little opportunity for conversation in their new role asguards, being separated from each other by the length of the cabin.Strange as was the position in which they found themselves, they feltbut little fear. The massive logs of which the cabin was constructedbid defiance to the entry of a bullet, and neither of them couldbelieve that the affair would amount to more than a few shots beingfired at the building while the attacking party was under the influenceof the liquor they had drank. They believed that with the coming ofday the feudalists would disband and retire to their homes, while theywould be free to return to the rescue of their friends on the island.Nevertheless, they were not going to take any chances in the duties assentinels. They stood well to one side of their loopholes and peepedout at the little clearing plainly visible in the bright moonlight.

  "I reckon they can't see to shot through the loopholes, but you-allswant to keep youah bodies out of line with them," cautioned Mr. Turner."Hit mought be that a stray bullet would pass through one of them. An'don't either of you young fellows fire 'less you jes' have to. Youdoan't want to get mixed up in this hyar quarrel. If yu' jis' naturallyhave to shoot, aim low an' give it to 'em in the laigs."

  "There seems to be several of them gathering together at the edge ofthe woods," called Charley anxiously. "Here they come straight for thehouse!"

  His host darted to his side. "They've got a long pole an' air aiming tobatter down the door," he announced. "Keep back, boys, an' let me dothe talking an' shootin', if thar's got to be any."

  But the boys crowded close to his side, eager to view the comingattack.

  There were about a dozen men in the approaching party and they advancedat a rapid trot, bearing between them a huge pine log.

  "Halt whar you air," commanded Turner when they had approached towithin sixty feet of the house. "If you-alls come any closer meanin'trouble, someone is goin' to get hurt."

  There were enough of timid spirits in the party to cause a halt in theadvance.

  "We're goin' to get youah hide this time, Bill Turner," shoutedthe foremost of the gang, a big, heavily-whiskered man. "Hit's adisgrace on us Wrights to have one of youah name livin' still in thissettlement. You're goin' to be done for this time."

  "Now, I ain't done nothin' to you-alls in all these years," said Turnerquietly and argumentatively. "You ain't got no cause to come 'roundhectoring me."

  "More shame for you," shouted the big man. "We're goin' to do you,first, 'cause you're a Turner, second, 'cause you've been toopoor-spirited all these years to put up a man's fight."

  "Pears lak hit needs a powerful lot of yu to do fo' one, lone,mean-spirited critter," said Turner, mildly.

  The big man stamped his foot with rage. "Hit don't take none but me,"he roared. "Yu come out hyar an' we'll have it out, man to man."

  "I ain't a-doubting you're courage, Jim Wright," returned the other,slowly, "but I ain't aimin' to hurt no man 'less I have to. Besides, ifI did get the best of yu, all the rest of youah gang would come down onme. Jes' keep away from my cabin, that's all I've got to say."

  "Come on, boys," roared the leader. "He's too mean-spirited to hurt afly. He can't shoot all of us, anyway."

  There was some hesitation, but his fellows, evidently, believed thatthe man inside would not fire. Under the urging of their leader theypicked up the log and started on a run for the door.

  But they quickly discovered their mistake. From the loophole shotout quick jets of flame as the man inside worked the lever of hisWinchester. The log dropped unheeded to the ground as its bearersbroke for the cover of the woods. Some were not able to run but limpedaway groaning with pain. After the fleeing ones strode the big leader,cursing them for cowards and imploring them to return to the assault.

  "I don't reckon I've hurt any one of them very much," Turner remarked,as he slipped more shells into his rifle. "I jes' aimed for theirlaigs."

  "Thank God, it has all ended without loss of life," Charley saidearnestly, but his host shook his head.

  "Hit ain't ended, hit's jes' begun, Jim Wright ain't one to be scartout by a little lead. He don't know what fear is. If he can't get noneof 'em to come back with him, he'll come back alone. I wish you youngfellows were safe outer hyar, but it won't do for you to try to leavenow. Crazy drunk, like them fellows is, hit wouldn't be safe for you.Maybe by morning they'll be sobered up enough to listen to reason."

  In spite of his words, the boys were hopeful that the night would passoff without further trouble, but they were soon undeceived. Half anhour had not passed when the big leader emerged from the woods followedby a half a dozen of his fellow feudalists.

  His followers halted by the fallen log but he advanced boldly directfor the loophole.

  "Keep away, for Gawd's sake, keep away, Jim," Turner implored. "I don'twant to have to shoot you."

  "Hit's you or me this time!" shouted the other, "The sun don't rise onno living Turner in this town."

  "Keep back," warned Turner, thrusting his rifle through the loophole,but even in his desperate situation, the boys, crowded close besidehim, and could see that he aimed only at the legs of the advancing man.

  Ruffian though he was, the other was not without brute courage. Henever paused in his advance. "Shoot," he shouted as he whipped out apistol, "Shoot, that's what I want yu to do."

  The two reports came almost together, but the pistol shot was afraction of a second ahead of the other. Like a fire-swept weed Turnercrumpled to the floor, his rifle exploding as he fell.

  The big man clapped one hand to his side and fell to the ground.

  With the report of his rifle, his followers had grabbed up the log andrushed for the door, but Charley had been quick to see the danger.Snatching up the rifle from the fallen man, he fired at the movinglegs as fast as he could work the lever. The whistling lead was morethan the assaulters could stand. Three dropped their hold on the logand limped hurriedly for cover while their fellows, deprived of theiraid, could no longer sustain the heavy timber, which sank again to theground while they hastened after their wounded companions.

  The boys watched them in silence until they entered the woods thenCharley set down the rifle.

  "I don't think they will be back right away again," he said. "Anyway,we have got to risk a light. Perhaps Mr. Turner is not dead."

  With hands that trembled with excitement Walter struck a match and litthe lamp, then, the two boys lifted the prostrate man and laid him uponthe bed. "Keep watch at the loophole while I see if anything can bedone for him," Charley commanded.

  The man's shirt was matted with blood and the lad did not attemptto take it off, but cut it away with his sheath knife, exposing thewhite chest in the center of which gapped a horrible hole. "He's badlywounded," he announced after a careful examination of the wound."There's two holes, one in his chest and one in his side. I believe thebullet struck a rib and glanced, coming out at his side. If so, he willpull through if I can only stop the blood flowing. I'll have to keepthis lamp lit for awhile even it is risky. I'll be as quick as I can."

  There was little in the rude cabin with which to do in such a case,but the resourceful lad made the best of the situation, working withfeverish speed so as to be able to extinguish the lamp as soon aspossible. First, he washed out the wash basin thoroughly and filling itwith clean water from the barrel added to the water a generous handfulof salt. With this he washed the ugly-looking wound, then tearing intopieces a fresh sheet he found lying on a shelf, he made a little wadof rags with which, after soaking them in salt water, he plugged upthe gaping hole. Over this he bound wet strips of the sheet to hold itsecurely in place. He was rewarded for his labor by seeing that theflow of blood was quickly checked and soon ceased entirely. As soon ashe made certain of this, he extinguished the light and crept to hischum's side.

  "I think he will pull out all right," he announced. "He is unconsciousyet, and when he does come to he'll be very weak from loss of blood.Have you seen any more of those fe
llows?"

  "They're still in the woods around the clearing. Listen and you'll heartheir voices every now and then."

  "Has the man who was shot moved any?"

  "No, he lays just as he fell. I guess he's dead."

  "It's a horrible affair," said Charley with a shudder. "I'll neverforget this night. It has put us in a bad fix. We can't leave here now,and I don't like the way the wind is coming up. If there's a heavystorm, the captain and Chris will be in danger, it wouldn't take a veryheavy sea to cover that marsh. Just listen how it's blowing."

  Walter seemed not to hear what his chum was saying. He stood staringout at the still figure stretched on the ground. "He hasn't moved, butmaybe he isn't dead," he said at last. "Perhaps, he is bleeding todeath and a little attention might save his life."

  "You're right," Charley exclaimed. "We must bring him in."