" The Rawdon gang
worked hard to get to the narrows, but found it hopeless. "Give it to
them," shouted Bangs from the shore; and in response, the guns rang out
again, while Bill strained every muscle to the utmost. The punt
grounded on the shore above the narrows, and four of the men jumped out
into the water and fled up the bank, firing their pistols as they
retired. The punt was captured, and brought back to the guarded beach,
with a wounded man and some tools in the bottom. Only by swimming, or by
a long detour of very many miles, could the four fugitives find their
way back to the shore they had sought in vain.
The wounded man was taken out of the punt and laid on the beach. "Is he
dead?" asked Bigglethorpe. "No," answered the detective, feeling the
head of the victim, and inspecting him by the aid of matches struck by
the smoker Sylvanus; "it's a good thing for him thet yore two gens were
louded with deck shot end thet they sketter sow, else he'd a been a dead
men. He's got a few pellets in the beck of his head, jest eneugh to sten
the scoundrel for a few minutes. Ah, he's hed a creck owver the top of
his head with a cleb, the colonel's werk, very likely.
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