The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1868-08-15

, itself upon me. At the, same ms ant IL
chamber was lit by another fash whic
revealed to me the innkeeper. saw
large knife in the air above me, and the
it descended with almost hiss.
Had not my pillow been my shield
the weapon would have sunk to the hi
lin my breast; but as it was, the pillo,
saved me. The knife sank through
and touched my body, inaicting Sigh
flesh wound, but nothing more. :
Course you" cried the innkeeper in
hoarse voice, "you have wit, but I hav
knife" .-
As he uttered the last words, he es
sayed to withdraw the weapon, at tn
same time grasping my pillow to wrencl
it aside. But be had miscalculated hi
man. Inmy former pictures of imagina
tion I had thought Of just what woul
do under such circumstances and in thi
case I did it exactly. s1@....@
The moment the knife touched m,
breast my right hand was on the arm O
the innkeeper and gliding rapidly down
was on his wrist ere he could snatch
rway the blade. My gripe is usually
strong; and now the nerve of suddenl,
awakened fear and anger rendered it 1
temporary vice. ..... .-..
It was not ottheinnkeeper who succeeded
in wrenching aside the pillow, but my
self. As he strove to wrench it one way
I did the other, and by sudden twitcl
/ snatched it from his grasp, and pushed
it with my left hand into his face, to
wards which his heavy breathing served
as guide. I heard stiaed curse, anc
I could feel that he angsily clutched al
this strange instrument of attack moi
only with his left hand, but with the
right, on which I had my hold. :.
My eyes were becoming accustomed
to the dark-as I knew his long had
and could see plainly enough, to take
instant advantage of the position. When
he clinched with his right at the pillow
i suddenly withdrew my left band from
the pillow, and concentrating both hands
on his which held the knife, I wrenched
away the weapon ere he could well I'M
derstand my intention. I had seen that
/ was dealing with a strong man, and
when / leaped at him, it was through his
arm the knife went, passing through the
flesh, and wringing from him cry Of
pain. .a5.+ E.
"RalfW broke in voice close to us.
/" Ye snifae like a coward! Give way to
a surer hand"
This was uttered in voice subdued,
but charged with fury; and for an in
slant experienced that feeling of de-
spair which seizes one when all hope of
deliverance from immediate death has
fed. This was only for moment, how
ever, for in the intensity of my emotions
seconds seemed as minutes, and I could
act as rapidly in proportion. The man
essayed to return IN answer and had al
ready uttered the words, "I'm awake" !"
when ! withdrew my knife from his arm,
and wrenching the limb aside, drove the
steel in his breast. He sank back with
groan, and turned in time TO confront
the hag, whose peculiar eyes shone in
darkness like those of an enraged pan
ther.
The appearance of those eyes was ap-
pailing; and had | not been nerved by
my success in the struggle with the inn
keeper, I think they would have struck
me with fear. They were bright with
magnetic lightsand could see that the
yellow ring was the brightest of all. For
an instant was motionless, fascinated
as I was by this remarkable gaze, and
in an instant athird fash of lightning lit
up her savage countenance. As she
stood where she halted when / turned
upon her, the lightning flashed through
the window full into her face. It was
horrible.
Suddenly, as the light leaped back, as
it were, through the window, she rose to
her full height and darted upon me- The
lightning had not entirely gone out, be-
fore l saw that she carried in her hand,
not coarse knife, but long, slender
dagger, which threw back the brightness
from surface of the highest polish. In
the darkness that followed I saw this
weapon gleam over her head, and her
eyes rivaled il their brillancy the flash
that had shown us to each other.
To my astenishment, just as 1 was
for the attack (for it was i'm
possible for me to be the attacking party
in this case.) she dropped her arm and
subduing her voice to savage persuasive
ness. exclaimed, "Stranger. ye BE a
brave man. Live here, and wen get rid
Of the old one!!" M
/ AS looked back on the strange scene,
am convinced that her singular action
was the result Of one Of those sudden
changes which come over women Of her
stamps as they do over the savageface,
she having seen as much Of me in that
brief illumination as many would in a
lifetime. Her companion in crime was
nothing more to her, and in The reaction
of her feelings the man who slew him
was TO her Of greater power There was
40 love between them and 4 was the one
eff, whose action, if not appearance. was
to her fearless nature.
T say that / am convinced that such
vas her feelings when she paused and
poke those words to me, though / leave
ny readers to form their own opinion on
he matter.
i Whatever may have been her thoughts
md feelings. it is certain that / looked
upon this change Of movement as bit
of strategy and acted accordingly.
" accomplished one object agreeable
% me y saved me from attempting the