People were now running from the shops, while from side streets the natives poured down.
"This is a regular row!" Jim Tucker exclaimed. "Look! those fellows are all armed with big sticks. Listen! there are pistols going off somewhere else."
A moment later the natives fell suddenly upon some Europeans standing close to the boys. These drew knives and pistols, and a fierce combat at once raged.
"Come out of this!" Jim exclaimed, running into a shop close by. "We must make a bolt for it somewhere."
At that moment an Italian, armed with a pistol, rushed in from behind the shop.
On seeing the three lads he exclaimed in broken English, "Shut the door, they mean to kill us all!"
The boys closed the door, and the owner piled some boxes and other goods against it; but there was no fastening up the window, for the fastenings were outside.
"Come upstairs," the man said, and the lads followed him to the floor above.
The battle was still raging in the street. Groups of Greeks and Italians stood together, defending themselves with their knives from the heavy sticks of their assailants, but were being fast beaten down. The shrieks of women rose loud above the shouting of the combatants, while from the upper windows the cracks of revolvers sounded out as the Greek, Maltese, and Italian shopkeepers who had not sallied out into the streets tried to aid their comrades below.
"Now, have you got any arms you can give us?" Tucker asked. "This looks like a regular rising of the natives. They would never all have their sticks handy if they hadn't prepared for it."
"There are some long knives in that cupboard," the man said, "and there is another pistol my brother Antonio has got. He is sick in bed."
Just at this moment the door opened and another Italian came in in trousers and shirt.
"The natives have risen and are massacring all the Europeans."
"I am not surprised," he said, as he discharged his pistol and brought down a native who was in the act of battering in the head of a fallen man. "You said only yesterday, you thought there was mischief brewing--that the natives were surly and insolent; but I did not think they would dare to do this."
"Well, brother, we will sell our lives as dearly as we can."