CHAPTER X--THE CLIMAX OF THE ATTACK
As he ran in beyond the zone of light by the gate, Dave saw moreclearly through the darkness. Good reason was there for that doublebarrier to swing open.
At the wheel and windlass of the gate stood Pembroke, both arms tugginghard and succeeding in slowly swinging the halves of the gate inward.
So intent was he upon his treacherous achievement that Pembroke neithersaw nor heard the man dashing upon him.
Whack! A blow with the butt of Darrin's revolver laid the scoundrelflat.
On to the gate dashed Dave, just as an exultant yell outside told himthat the yellow multitude was about to rush in.
Slam up against the gate rushed Ensign Dave, the force of his bodysending the two halves shut.
Outside the tumult increased, as scores of yellow shoulders were hurledagainst the barrier.
"Help! Here! Quick!" roared Darrin.
Above the tumult his voice carried hardly any distance.
The pressure of the Chinese outside must finally overcome his strainingmuscles as he struggled to keep the gate closed.
Just then a sailor passed at a trot, with a message. Hearing Daveyelling for assistance, he looked at the gate and made out the figureof his officer there, trying to hold off the multitude.
"All hands to the gate!" yelled the seaman, using his hands as atrumpet. Some of those within the circle of lanterns heard, and took upthe alarm.
Jackies rushed to Darrin's side, hurling themselves with all theirstrength against the gates. Their combined efforts seemed to be asnothing.
Three of the missionary party had hurried to the spot. There were nowfive men against the scores outside.
The mechanism of the gate had not been wholly opened, and that facthelped greatly.
Sailors and marines sprang up from many quarters. By this time, if theChinese succeeded in getting through they would find themselvesconfronted by a platoon of rifles.
"Hold fast!" yelled Dave. "Ross, come with me!"
Officer and man rushed to the wheel that controlled the opening andclosing of the gate. Seizing this, and throwing into it all theircombined muscular force, they succeeded in driving the double barrierclose.
"Here are the double bars!" shouted one of the marines at the gate."Some one took them down."
Up went the bars, which were now made fast in place, and once more thegate was securely closed.
Placing a whistle to his lips, Dave ran along the wall. Even above theBabel of voices the shrill note of the whistle was heard.
"Aye, aye, sir!" bawled down a petty officer overhead.
"Turn your marksmen loose on that rabble before the gate. Use themachine gun, too. Make it as deadly for the scoundrels as you know how.Up to the ramparts you men at the gate, and fire on the mob!"
Chinese yells of battle changed to groans of pain as the Americanfiring rattled out more heavily than at any other time that day.
From the river came the broad white beam of the "Castoga's" searchlight.
Boom! A shell dropped in the rear of the multitude and more houses werein flames, lighting up the scene.
"Hammer them as they run!" breathed Ensign Darrin fervently. "Keep itup as long as you can see any one to shoot at."
Boom! The "Castoga" took a further hand, by dropping one shrapnelshell, and then a second, among the seething, yellow rebels revealed bythe searchlight.
Within two minutes the great open space had been cleared, save for thebodies of several hundred killed and wounded.
"The searchlight is sending a signal, sir," spoke up one of the men.
There on the rampart, Dave read these words as they were signaled inthe code:
"Good work, Darrin and all hands!"
"Give our commanding officer three times three, and do it with a will!"shouted Ensign Dave. "Our shipmates will hear it."
And hear it they must have, for, no sooner had the cheering on therampart ended when a distant, yet distinct sound of cheering drifted infrom the river.
"How many have you on your casualty list?" was signaled by thesearchlight.
"Seven of my men and three missionaries," answered the signal man, ashe stood wigwagging, using a Chinese lantern hastily appropriated forthat purpose. "None killed. All women safe."
Fast as he was with his wig-wagging, the signalman was glad when he hadfinished his work, for such a storm of bullets sang by him that nonecould understand how he escaped with his life.
Not until now did Darrin have time to think of Pembroke.
"I must get that blackguard!" he muttered, running down into thecompound.
At first Dave could not locate the fellow. At last, however, he sightedhim, half-hiding against a part of the wall where the gloom was mostpronounced.
"Well, sir?" demanded the young officer, striding up to the man whoheld a handkerchief against his injured scalp.
"Was it you who struck me down?" demanded Pembroke.
"It was."
"Why did you do such a dastardly thing?"
"Das--" gasped Dave, astounded. "See here, fellow, don't you believethat I knew what you were up to?"
"I--I was trying to close the gate, which some of the scoundrels outsidehad partly succeeded in opening," Pembroke asserted stoutly.
"You lie!" retorted Ensign Darrin, staring sternly into theEnglishman's eyes. "You were opening the gate. The direction in whichyou were swinging the wheel proved that. And I struck you down!"
"You are wronging me fearfully, Darrin!" Pembroke protested, with astrong attempt at injured dignity.
"Then I'm going to injure you still more outrageously," Darrinretorted, "for I'm going to place you in arrest. Moreover, if I live toget to the 'Castoga,' you are going out there with me as a prisoner."
"Darrin, you--you must be joking," stammered the fellow.
"No; I am not--Rogers!"
Dave watched for the effect of that shot. At mention of the namePembroke turned more pallid.
"What do you mean by using that name when addressing me?" he stammered.
"Because it's your right name," Dave retorted. "You used that namebefore you ever used the name of Pembroke. Rogers, you are underarrest. Walk on ahead of me, straight to the circle of the lanterns.Don't attempt to trifle with me, for my patience was never so short asit is now. March!"
"Surely, you are not going to humiliate me before all the ladies,"protested the prisoner. Warned by the light in Ensign Dave's eyes hestarted forward.
"That's exactly what I'm going to do," snapped Darrin. "I'm going toexpose you so fully that you'll get no recognition save that of scorn."
"Darrin, one of these days you're going to pay a big penalty in regretsand apologies," the prisoner warned him.
"Fiddlesticks!" uttered Dave disgustedly.
Marching the fellow up under the light of the lanterns, Dave foundseveral women eyeing him strangely.
"Why, is Mr. Pembroke a prisoner?" cried Lucy Chapin.
"He is, Miss Chapin," Dave assured her.
"But surely, he can have done noth--"
"All he did, Miss Chapin, was to try to open the main gate of thecompound wall and let in the Chinese rabble. I caught him in the act,but, beyond knocking him down, I did not have time to attend further tohim just then. On the fellow's head you will observe the cut made bythe butt of my revolver when I struck him down."
"It seems so impossible to believe!" murmured Miss Chapin.
"And Mr. Pembroke, ladies, is also the rogue who once went under thename of Rogers. Further, I am convinced that this Pembroke, or Rogers,has been in league with the governor of Nu-ping, and with thegovernor's underlings. I am certain, in my own mind, that this fellowis largely responsible for the attack on the mission, and for all ourtroubles on this day and night."
Dave's plain words and his simple, straightforward manner carriedconviction even to those who were, like Miss Chapin, reluctant tobelieve ill of the one who had called himself Pembroke.
"Marine, there!" called Dave, turning.
The sea-soldier stepped over,saluting.
"You will take charge of this prisoner and be responsible for him. Youwill be prompt to shoot him if he tries to escape."
"Aye, aye, sir!"
Dave Darrin turned to lift his cap to the ladies, but started, turned,gasped.
In an instant such a din had arisen as he would once have believedcould come only from the infernal regions.
From all four sides at once came the angry yells of thousands of men,mingled with thousands of detonations. The crashing racket ofnumberless gongs made the night still more hideous. The storm of noisewas ear-splitting, nerve-racking.
Believing the south wall to be the place most in danger, Dave rushedacross the compound in that direction.