The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 23, 1904, Page 8

\ THE SAN FRANCISCO - SUNDAY CALL. ad been In the port of este almost three weeks, ur cargo was nearly all day we found it ur anchorage sev- hore. This erable work at kedging. ano and I walked so held e forecastle , was well crowd- , stevedores’ men is, with the fact that after knock-off time, put us all mood, especiaily an. Manuel slipped and fell E h One s farther the Like & flash the Brazillan blazed up. He gave Juan such a blow in'the ‘face s sent him staggering to the rail and elmost over it. In a,moment the.Mex- ican recovered himself, and seizing,one of the .capstan bars he raised* it to strike. Manuel closed in and the two clinched. . Here' the bystanders inter- fered and separated them. But the fire in thelr. eyes showed that’the affair was not yet ended After,we had washed and eaten that evening Milano took!me aside and said: “Those two fellows are determined to g0 ashdre and fight out their quarrel in some quiet nook where there is'no dangér of interfererice. They want us with ‘them to see fair play.” Is it to be a siugzing match?” asked No, that’s too brutal, like beasts. Knives, they say, but we won't allow that. The cause of the quarrel doesn’t warrapt it. T've tried to have them make up, but they will fight. Now, if they wuse knives in their present mood ihey will soil themselves and us with good blood and that will be dis- agreegble all around. Down in the are two peirs of rapiers that the English officers fenced with. Let them settle their dispute like Frenchmen.” But they will run each other through,” I objected. “It won't go so far, you'll see.” After dark Milano stole down into the cabin messroom and obtained the four 15, then joined Manuel, Juan and the gangway. We were just to shove off in the boat when decided to come along. ten minutes we linded on the beach. Some distance away cabi In moonlit we found a level stretch of sand and there arranged to have the fight take place. Milano, who carried the folls, gave the two principals one each and another to me, so that he and I might interfere if necessary. , Stripping themselves to their waists, the two opponents squared off from each other. “Ready,” cried Milano, and the two strips of steel slapped -together in a cro TFere was something decidedly T jc in the clash that accompanied ion. ' ‘Go,” shouted Milano and the X of steel broke again and the weapons flashed in the moonlight. Snap—snap— lashed, loud in the stillness t—both men tried fo hit weren’t fencing for points. timte neither could touch the both, having been man-o'- were experts at broad- tice. Evidently they did not that foils were for thrusting, ely they chopped at each other though they were handling cut- ses. Milano was quietly chuckling h suppressed laughter and when I saw how things were going the humor of it struck me too. gnap th of the n rd. r fie “Stop!” cried Milano suddenly, “honor 1is satisfied.” v “No, no,” yejied the two comb: together, “blood! blood!” 5 And they fell to with redoubled vigor, tants “All right] hack away,” /said ‘Milano,- and aside to me, “If I had known they wanted ‘blood I would have. brought . _some bedding. Morning will come be- fore blobd.” Russo ‘had laid down on some dried seaweed and watched the entire affair as though it were merely a cockfight. Meanwhile the foils kept up a con- tinued clashing and quick scraping, and the two fighters darted nimbly around each other and over the sands, occasionally dealing the other a good blow, but, of course, drawing no blood. Suddenly Juan was thrown off his guard and down came Manuel's foil, the point tearing across Juan's breast, leaving a long red stripe. It was an accidental blow. Here Milano and I sprang in and separated them, throwing up their weapons with ours and thus disarm- ing them. Both were half dead from exhaustion, for they had been at it nearly an hour. Juan’s wound was only & deep scratch, but covered his breast with blood. “Honor is satisfied,” cried Milano; “Juan fought bravely, like a tiger, but fate was with Manuel. Both of you are brave men—clasp hands.” The two glared at each other a mo- ment, then their faces softened and their hands met. Honor was satisfled. With “some fresh seaweed we stanched the wound on Juan's breast and then he and Manuel replaced their shirts and coats. Our next duty was to seal the entire affair over a bottle of wine, which we might do at a small inn half way up road to the city. So in that direction we five set out. 4 A fifteen minutes’ walk brought us tbere. First we hid our weapons in a clump of bushes outside, for while our entrance into the wine room with naked rapiers in our hands might have been strikingly picturesque it might also have excited some undesirable comment, even in that unconventional country. The bottle of wine was good and soon disposed of It so happened that we had money with us, so another bottle followed, with a third close after. By this tfme we were all In a jolly mobd, sc¢ jolly that we thought it sould be quite a joke to let the bos’'n and cap- tain stand our anchor watch. Feeling thus we decided to go on to Trieste and take in some of the sights. Arm in arm, chained across the road. we five made our way into the city, sampling the various vintages of the wine gardens that we happened to pass. At one of ;these places we got separ- ated somehow, and Juan and I found ourselves =alone. Finally we two brought up before a brilliantly {llum- inated resort in a small by street, and, feeling tired, we entered. The place was a large cafe, ‘and numbers of men were seated ‘at'-small marble topped tables quiétly drinking .beer, wine or coffee. :In-the rear was another room, beyond which, through two large win- dows that ‘touched the 'floor, we could " ®ee the pillars of ‘a balcony’ that over- hung .an open “spade,*eltler* a’ stréet or a'canal. ' P y For_half ‘an hour:or, 5o, perhaps an hour, Juan and I sat in.that cafe, sip- ring ‘black’ coffee.- ‘Tpere was a ‘low hum of conversition about the room,” rather soothing ‘fhanvotherwise.,'Sud- r ,denly. there ;came _the; stamping, of, :soldier,’ a sergegnf,"Lbelieve, mny feet on'ithe pavement:‘ontside ;gradually’. drawing *toward“the’ door. " The screen door: flapped” open and .a dozen ‘British’ saflors’ entered. ' It re- quires no keenness of observationto recognize the British seaman—his. ap- pearance shrieks the fact at you, even were it possible for him to keep his niouth shut for ten successive minutes. Then these fellows were all half drunk, and only Britishers drink in packs. The seamen of other nations seek their dripk as the tigers hunt—alone or in pairs. * The sailors were too noisy to be agreeable, and the waiters tried to get rid of them, but that was impossible. Finally they were served some beer at a large table by themselves in a corner of the room. This seemied to quiet them for a while and no further notice was taken of their presence. Presently one of the Britishers arose and pounded the table with his glass. The hum of voices stopped. ‘““Attention there, ye damned Dutch dagoes!” began the sailor in an gressive tone, “listen there, while I tell ye who I am. I am Bill Snooks of New Bedford—yessir, I am an American. an’ don't you fergit it.” This introduction received a round of applause from Bill’s mates. “Go it, Yank,” shouted one, “tell 'em ‘00 ye are.” *Yessir,” continued Bill, “I am a man wot ye seldom meets, an’ I kin lick any damned dago wot walks on two - {e:t or on four, for that matter, if there Ry v ngey he glared savagely about the room, finally resting his eyes on Juan A TILL, ADV and’'me. He was drunk, evidently, but it (was that is hunting for.fight. - & . “Yessir, ve, ye red-headed lobstérs—my 'ey: ‘on ye, an' I'kin lick the two of ve'at once,” 2 . My companion’s . swarthy,, fegtures turnéd livid. ' His Htfle bladk mul drooped. over the corners As 1. haye said before, stood some English. * “Judn runder- Besides the British seamen there was almost a score :of . other. men,in the room, natives of the city. 'Most of them were -how' ‘laughing, i for; not'under- standing the American-Janguage;sthey tookiitas.a bit of humor.y At the same table with'Juan and*myself sat a young 15 adie bt 16, judge’ bygthe, short.sword at his sitie. Whether he ublersiood Krikitoh of oniy read'i theY'sailor’s facial ' expression, 1 can’t \say, but he did mot.laugh. *He ‘took matters seriously. And his mts- tache drooped, too. “Well,”' continued my loquacious countryman, “seein’ as how there ain’t no fight in any of ye, I'll ask ye all to g0 to hell.” ‘Whereupon he lifted his glass and heaved it directly at our table. It struck the young: soldier, not hurting him in the leas?, but spilling beer over his trouse! For one brief moment there was a deep expectant silence: then came a sharp scrape against the stone floor, and the young soldier’s chair shot backward from under him. With a bound he reached the sailor, hurled him to the floor, and there held him down, his fingers clutching the sea- man’s throat, his knee on his chest. But the Austrian’s advantage was for only a moment. “At 'em, boys,” shouted one of the Englishmen, “give 'em ‘ell.” Up they all sprang and thréw them- selves on the soldler, carrying him down by their brute weight. Before they could seriously injure him he had a dozen allies. The walters and guests sprang to his assistance and endeav- ored to beat off the Englishmen, but that was no easy task. In & moment the room.was in a sav- age turmoil. Chairs were used as . flying bottles , curses and cries of pain mingled with the noise of splintering glass—all one mad uproar. o e i A not a n it. . one of '.I;Q'Endllhm almost T, en sent me to the floor “Ye damned Turk, I 'ad my heye on BY ALBERT SONNICHSE ¢fihis-mouth., N : /4 ] » 70u,” T heard him yell. I hit back and" He fixed' bis teéth: in my;shoulder. .I e’said, ‘“Iam a-lookin’ at jtried to grasp. the sheath knife'in my’ sash, but his body covered it. Suddenly, “he threw back ‘his head, gave a yell, his. hold loosened &and' he dropped “to” _the floor. I caught just a photographic tache-' 81impse of-the Alustrian gergeant before me, his naked gword in’ his hand. but in another second he disappeared in the ' mejee, " * -t Just ' whatvhappened or ‘what I did remains ‘but indistinctly in my mind— -'T saw "the ‘flasi of knjfe, blades, saw ';pale, blood-dplattered “faces, writhing men on the. floor, arld everywhere was ' blood—blood. . 2y Then' came a'lull. The Englishmen pulled themselves together in one cor- ner, whilgithe Austrians did the same opposite. “In the wreck gtresvn .space betweenrlay four men " quiverifig ‘1“0 spasmodic jerks, A yell, a’ wild rush and the Yight was on again. All fought ‘furfously as hungry animals fight, but the Englishmen were fighting t6 reach the door; they were being severely runished. Suddenly there shot into the room the uniform of a gendarme—then another; outside in the street they seemed to swarm. The Britishers made 2 concerted break into the street to escape. Just then in the pause that came, I felt a tug at my arm. It was Juan. “Come,” he panted, “the police will have us—let us get out in back.” ‘We slipped into the rear room, now deserted, and found ourselves out in the moonlight on a balcony. Under- neath was water—a canal. Apparent- ly there was no escape. We paused a moment and looked back—the fight was going on again, but the gendarmes or soldiers were taking’ a hand now; they were trying to arrest all concerned, but met stout resistance. “Let’s jump.” whispered Juan. By the moonlight I saw his hand was bloody and the knife was gone from his sash. Looking down I saw blood on my shirt, but it :wasinot mine, for I had received no bodily hurt. The shoulder of my t, a light duck, was torn where .the had - bit- ten. Juan gave a leap and was gone. I heard a splash below, then saw his black heulk:n the eu;hrmof a circle - of big moving for the opposite side. v?'flam hesitation I sprang over the railing and a moment later was swimming close behind Juan. We both crawled up a stone step on the other side and shot down a narrow side . ' 4 vy 1A street: just as we heard voices shout- ind of a drunk.where a.he rolled under, a: table, but' another ing, from!the*balcony and upon” the'.them. man retains®all ‘the animal senses and 'fellow sprang at me and we grappled.* boats mooredsin the:canal « 3 v It did not take us long to reach the road’to the boat landing, 'which we'did™ by,obscure alleys and opers fields, ayhid- ing. pegple as much as_possiblei: So We' came fo' the" little ~wirehoude M which our’foils were hidden. “qu‘e(;ngdilun.n.“‘l‘exs have a drink to settle our nerves. | To this I #ssented. We were wet through,:but:there Bad been a.number of showers during.the evening and they would account for our conditibn. ' The r ‘blood: on" Juan's hand-had. washed off in swimming, and I.buttonedsup my coat. S ‘It was now almost midnight, so we found nobody inside but:.thelandlord and his wife. They served us a bottle of wine and Bome bread and Cheese. ‘We had almost finished when. the «door opened and Milano, Manuel and Russo walked In. They joined us at “another bottle,” although ‘we’ had -all- had: just about enoygh -bottles. . Our. three- ship- mates had been strolling about the city and were now returning after an un- eventful evening. Juan and I then gave an account of our experience. We were still talking when we heard voices outside, the door opened and who should appear but my riotous countryman, Bill Snooks, much used up, but very much alive still Close behind came another of the trou- ble-seeking sailors. They both paused, looked at us and then turned and shouted: “Come on, fellers; here's them two Turks; let’s get even with ‘em!” But they were tdo slow for us. Juan and I leaped up, hurried the two men out through the doorway, slammed the door and jerked back the boit. “What are you doing?” shouted the landlord in alarm. “Silence,” cried Juan, “they will kill you if they come in. Take your wife out of here.” Our three shipmates understood in a flash how matters stood. “Open the shutters and se® how many they are,” sugeested Milano; “perhaps we can manage them.” ‘We did so and counted nine men outside in the moonlight. “Too many,” said Juan; “we must stay inside; we have the advantage o “Let’s in,” howled a voice through the door, followed by a violent pound- ing at the panels, “or we'll make matchwood of yer old shanty.” The landlord protested azain. but HE ROOM WASIINY AVAGE TURMOTLY” Milano silenced him with threats and forced him up the stairs to the foom above, where his wife had taken ref- uge. Blow after blow now shook the doer, but it was stout and easilv with- stood them. .hen came a.short pause and—crash—splintering glass show- ered over the floor and a rock landed in the middle of the room, barely missing Russo. This was followed by a bombardment of stones through both windows, completely shat the thin shutters. Then came another silence. All was dark ; extinguished the lamps. eppeared in one of the windows; then the black silhouette of a head. “Open up,” said a voice, “or we'll set the house on fire.” I picked up a chair and struck at the head. It disappeared with a yell, followed by a streak of oaths In broad Geordie accents. “Why, damn it,” I heard a voice say, “there’s an Englishman inside.” My blow at the head had been ac- companied by some strong remarks which reflected no honor on the head's ancestry and parentage—remarks as vulgar as they were strong, but so essentially English that only an Eng- [ lish speaking persqn would have used tollowed—cl' emineus silence. “Lool!” * cried ' Milane, 'suddenly, 4 “Ligole! thereyis,our salvation. Quick! We, can. fight our way out!” -*¥ Above' the' bar against thecwall hung two pairs-of. crossed cutlasses, each pair on either side of a big mirror. 0 had Milano, spoken than he No sooner a5 (G e ¢ up on:the bar an rag - st i Each one of down, the.four weapons. us,but Russo took one. Russo armed himself' with a'long wine bottls, full and heavy. “Now, all together,” said Juan, soft- vy drawing back the bolt. Now, he yelled, throwing opes the door, “down the road.” Together we burst out, firmly grip- ping the cutlasses in'our hands. With loud curses figures sprang up around us_and closed Frantically , we hacked at them—I [felt my steel” hit yielding substance, 1 heard the splin- tering-of Russo’s bottle as it broke over an Englishman’s head, and then —we five stood alone. One man lay writhing in the mud before us, scream- ing like a woman. It was Bill Snooks. I recognized him by the light of the moon. In the heat of the moment I felt sorely tempted to strike again, but his white face streaked with blood looked so ghastly in -the moonlight that I was rather sobered—anyhow, he was beyond doing further harm. At a gentle trot we started down the road toward the boat landing, harassed all the way by stones from the rear. We passed through a street of houses wherein lived the laberers who unload- ed the ships. The noise brought night- gowned figures to the windows and some even ventured out, but when they saw us coming with drawn cutlasses they quickly disappeared. In this street the Englishmen again vemtured into close quarters with us, but we beat them off successfully. Women screamed all around us now—the noise of the fighting caused a great com- motion in the houses. Finally we came down to the beach and while Russo prepared and launched the boat the rest of us stood off the drink-crazed Britishers. They snarled and howled about us in a semi- circle, but dared not close in. Several stones- struck us, but did no serious harm. Together we backed out into the water, jumped abeard the boat and shoved off, leaving the enemy to howl out their rage. (Copyright by McClure, Philllps & Co.) “IA dong quiet