The Girl from Hong-Kong: A Story of Adventure Under Five Suns — page 348: what you’re looking at

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

382 THE GIRL FROM HONG-KONG. Ah! the coming horsemen burst into view. A wild-looking crowd indeed, many of them wearing the picturesque Mexican-varh. They advance with great impetuosity, doubtless wn- aware of their danger, for those who Tie in wait have sought shelter behind various rocks. Nearer still. _ Only the clatter of horses’ hoofs, or, it might be, an im- patient Mexican oath. Terry counts them as they come and finds eleven, in- cluding the swarthy senor. The odds are heavy, but in an affair of this kind the advantages are with those who get in the first blow. It nas been decided that Terry’s right-hand neighbor is to give the signal; and when they hear the crash of his “pun’’ each man ts to open his battery with the firm intention of peppering the rascals well. | Some of them will never ride another race against time, for they have run up against a barrier that threatens to quite upset their calculations. When, in the past, with Spanish and Angio-Saxons at each other’s throat have the former won? Never since the days of good Queen Bess, at the time the formidable Armada was launched avainst the tight fittle island kingdom, and scattered through the favoring winds of heaven and the vator of England’s sons. | As in the past so it shall be in the future, for it ts the race Providence has intended to be the dominating one on earth, and which could even to-day hoid dts own apainst alf others combined. The onrushing Mexicans have now reached the imag- inary line which in General Lopez’s mind marks the boundary beyond which # is dangerous to allow them passage. Hence he suddenly limps into view and coolty proceeds to pick out his man. . The report of his weapon ts the signal for an empty | saddle. Lopez may be a trifle methodical in his way, a fault that comes from his rigoreus army training, but he knows where to piant his lead in order to make it count. A singular thing occurs—at the shot eversomiitiotiendan t