Gordon Young

“ The shouting, screams, wails of those dying or who thought they were, the racket and clash of steel and broken glass, roar of guns, made a deafening noise; the shifting and darting about of bodies increased the confusion and the cabin was misty from burned powder.
Brundage in a strong ringing voice called on McGuire to get back out of the way:
“I'm all right, boy!” Again, “Back—I'm all right.” The grim old fellow said it knowing better than any of them how far he was from being anything of the kind. ”

“ They might even have hesitated to take up Clobb's cause had not a fellow made an impulsive slash at Brundage from the side. The cutlas, driven in a sweeping upward blow, took the man's hand half-off at the wrist. A flash of circling steel and a second blow chopped into the head of a Spaniard who, perhaps unconsciously, reached for his own knife.
The fight was on. Men took it up on every side. Brundage had looked for nothing like that, but he more than accepted it. He carried the fight to them with cut and thrust so that men stumbled backward in fright. ”

“ Clobb had held a cutlas in one hand and a gun in the other. After Brundage had brought up against the bulkhead, Clobb had thrown the cleaver, but the heavy blade whirred harmlessly and hit the wood. He shot as near point-blank as he dared to get and was getting closer when bullets from rearward made him jump.
Clobb crouched behind the table and shot at McGuire. Men stood clear from between them that they might have a duel, and they blazed away. Such as still had loaded guns fired on McGuire. Close rapid shooting is seldom so deadly as it seems that it must be. ”

“ He felt that if he could only have a cool drink of water, then lie down and sleep for a little while he would be all right; by that time the smoke that seemed to have got right inside of his eyes would have cleared away and it would make no difference how many men came at him. ”