The Girl from Hong-Kong: A Story of Adventure Under Five Suns — page 326: what you’re looking at

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

320° THE GIRL FROM HONG-KONG. various ‘quarters toward a common centre,: just as. the. spokes of a wheel converge in the direction of the hub. — The poor old professor, who never loses an opportun- uty to bewail his lack of training and experience in mili- tary prowess, again comes to the front with a unique, little suggestion that proves of considerable value. “Be ready to give ’em Hail Columbia, gentlemen,” he says quietly; “I have a little Greek ‘fire here that Ta anxious to get rid of. Now!” A crackling match, a spluttering fuse flying through the air, and then a sudden burst of dazzling light that- causes every object in the canyon to stand ‘out with won- derful distinctness. It is very much orf the order of a Mash. ot lightning, only that the glow continues. The diligence, the hobbled horses, the: very remains of the late campfire, stand out with startling distinctness— so intense is the illumination that a dog would stand a poor show of concealment unless - sheltered by some enlenaly rock. Cries have greeted the flash—cries indicating both astonishment and chagrin. At the same time a number of figures that have been advancing in a humped-over attitude very much like a scorcing bicyclist seem imbued with a frantic desire to hug the floor of the barranca, while others execute the hastiest kind of a flank movement, in the hope of strik- - ing cover. For one, Terry finds a chance to get in a shot .while the light holds out to burn, and he has every reason in the world to believe that his bullet found a lodgment in a fellow’s leg ere he could drag his length behind-a rock. Other guns crack, nor are the shots all on one side, for: Senor Enrique has given his desperadoes carte blanche in the matter of carrying out his plans. . . Again darkness—more dense than ever, it seems, after the brilliant flash. The firing does not cease; an. occasional shot locates one of the combatants, but. this random method of sling- ing lead is hardly productive of results, save to draw. return compliments. comicloooks.conm