Ellsworth American., 1876-06-08


'Woming. lovely woming, cried the Gam
| ger,with intense earnestness in his voice =
which Ii Is, by He turned round,
hot and fearful-looking, upon Marion. I'm
for that fair un! She's a tidy-lookin' wench
Don't you feel rather flattered, eh?'
| was standing straight up against the
narrew line Of space formed by the partial
| ly opened door, and could see over the
CANCERS head to Miss Walmer's hand,
which lay, with slight tremor In it, on
the mantle-shelf There WIS deep-set
horror in her white face, but her eyes
showed no wildness or evidences of that
bewlderment which precedcs helplessness
| For the merest fraction of time, and only
once, her eyes turned swiftly to her hand.
Catching the glance, looked too. She
was nciselessly pulling up with her fingers
| pair of long bright scissors which were
lying almost out OF reach. These she
worked up skillfully and quickly, till they
disappeared beneath her palm. Then she
"tun "~5s saa- - ore .t.aJs J.-s.i,. = . at
Ing out more brandy, the instrument was
hidden In her sleeve.
Black Toms swarthy face flu shed up,
but he said nothing. His keen looking.
brilliant teeth when he laughed at the re-
suit made him look as cold and remorse-
less as steel blade. Norris's arm was be-
fore my breast, or believe | should have
| rushed in then, but II remained as move
| less and hard as a bar OF wood. He turned
his face TO me after the game OF pitch-and-
toss had allotted the ladies', and placing
his hand upon my breast once more pressed
| me back. | made no resistance. His
brown features appeared TO have a ground
work OF ghostly white beneath the tan the
sun had given them. His face was so rug
ged and set tina, it looked statuesque.
Again he placed his lips to my ear and
! spoke, the words being so low that could
| scarcely hear.
Keep on my heels. I'll give Harry the
stanchion as 90 in; then rush round {
the Ganger. You grip Black Tom. Dye
| hearT
! nodded.
All right. Y understand, you take
Black Tom-the black-muzzled cove. I'll
try the rest Now, then
| can not say that | observed much as we
entered. | recall catching in that moment
a surprised, varying look on the faces of
the ladies'. | remember Noris's arm pass
ing my face with kind OF sough followed
| by u duh sound. aud b. ood welling from
the head OF Hobartrown Harry hot upon
my hand as | was in the act OF passing to
the man who was given to my Keeping.
With the lightning rapidity of thought II
! NffliItu ~ AliAl marty Dul SttLifu Httn-
self more comfortably in his chair and that
| his hand with the ship tattooed on it was
, curiously rappiug anon. the classes; but
the thought was scarce formed before he
/ threw himself back across the space be-
! tween the table and the wall, and lay there
/ leaving red spurt where his head struck
| so quick was the movement that stumbled
over him and nearly fell When raised
again | saw that the CANCER had jumped
! to his feet IN time TO avoid the rail that
| Norris carried. The Two had just closed,
| when | felt the iron fingers of 81 aoN Tom
! upon my neck. did not seek 10 repel the
| attack, my only object being to grip him
/ similarly, but he kept from me, tightening
| his hold with vise-lke strength | knew
! he was not so strong as was ana bore
! him by sheer weight desperately against
the opposite wall just past the skirts CT
/ the women. There pinned him. heard
4 things falling and breaking in the din . |
/ passed my arm round his waist with a wild
/ effort and drew him close; then bent, or
rather broke him down upon the floor be-
meath me. Black Toms fingers never re-
| laxed. though threw myself heavily upon
| his chest. knew that my only chance OF
escaping the sufiocating gripe was to pull
| myself away, and guard against giving
| him similar advantage ia the next strug-
| glt' WAS UStOillII8 Couiu>tu anu fdpiil-
| Iy losing strength. when | gathered all my
| powers for one effort. Had failed, should
never have written this narrativ, aud a
| thought came to me at the time that fail
ure would be death. | succeeded, not an
instant too soon, in partially disengagirg
myself and planting my knee firmly upon
| bis breast. Then my hands found their
way across his long beard and down upon
| his hot throat. Next came the report o!
| pistol from the other side of the table,
when the terrible silence, broken by the
rolling and heavy breathing, went on as
before. The hand, of my antagonist SEEM
ed to open, and staggered up. | remem-
| Der observing. in half-drunken Kind Of
fashion, that the men At the other end of
the table were bobbing up and down and
| the room sailing unevenly round. They
! appeared to me like a confused heap. in
the midst of which was some kind OF pro-
lenged struggle, and then | caught sight
! OF Black Tom rising to his feet. sprang
upon him again, and again got my In {
/ upon his chest. La this position | tried to
| get breath. Tor my opponent seemed past
further struggling: but the next instant
felt sharp sting in the side, and | knew
| by the warm feeling which followed that |
| was wounded. | don't know how long
clutched the mans throat after that, but |
remember feeling frightened at the appear
auce OF his face and eyes. | rose and
swayed over to the table, with all my
strength gone. | saw Norris's arm hold
ing up al old brass-nounted pistol, and
disappearing with the suddeuness of a
strong blow. Then room and sense whred
round, and thought left me.
After what seemed like dwelling in a
dark humming sea. where was neither
shore nor record of time, felt fiery rush
OF strength and remembrance, and with
the feeling l opened my eyes to find the
kilvery dining-room lighted up. | was
stretched upon sofa, and guessed from
seeing broad gnarled hand holding a
tumbler beside me that had been revived
with brandy. The apartment was tull OF
men, all wearing that half-subdued. half
solemn look which fateful discoveries al
ways impart. They stood round the walls
thumbing their hats they stood in groups
of twos and threes; they looked silently
toward large armchair. There was not
one lounging attitude; all were solemn and
very earnest looking. About the floor
were broken chairs and shivered glasses
and litters of books aud ornaments, where
the ladies' work-tables had been crushed
by the weight Of falin- men. Any one
awakng as l did would have thought it
strange to find so many men and such quiet
They were listening to the low voice OF
some one who occupied the armchair. II
was Norris who was speaking.
.'Taint no use botherin',' l heard him
say, as in answer; my ticket O. leaves
done for good an all, Mr.. Walmer. new
sr see a evener fight. II it hednt a bin
for yer comm in we'd a bin licked. Bul
we saved the women; that's wot We want
ed to do. an that's wot We did. 1t were
our game. We see.'
Mr.. Walmer Interrupted in veice that
betrayed much feeling. MY poor Norris
what can do for your
.Nothin', Sir; an if ye could an did,
don't deserve it,
Don't deserve itr
Not from you. any way. did it all fo
Miss Marion, an would agin. don't for
git the time when lay in the store bu
like dog, an never saw no one o ye al
only her. Did she come with things TO
me2 Was she too much OF swell TO
+; Norris? Did she reckon him up like
| Ankav shaanS No Mr. Walmpr she thou oh