Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-09-26

MATTEo's THROAT.
nous physical strength and will threw the
odds fearfully on the side of Matteo; for
when he fell he had dropped his knife, and
was now gripping the American in his long,
powerful arms, whose muscles of iron slow
" and ~relentlessly closed about the chest
Of his adversary, until it seemed to Nebbitt
as II Ibis ribs were crunching and cracking
and his very life being crushed out in that
awful hug of death. Fortunately, his arms
were outside. Putting both lands against
the chin of the Italian, he suddenly n
sharply jerked the mans head upward and
backward. Taken at unawiIres, Matteo, to
save his neck from being broken, relaxed
Mhgrip for a moment.
Quick as a fash of lightning his an
tagonist, who was beneath, rolled the giant
over, leaped to his feet, and, grasping the
knife lying close by, plunged it into the
heart Of Hay1ee's murderer, who was
struggling to his feet, but so awful was the
force Of the blow that the blade drove clear
through the mans lungs and passed out be-
tween bis shoulders, and, without so much as
agroan, Matteo fell back, stoae dead
An this happened in far less time than it
takes to read about it, but not q moment too
QUICKLY. pCT N1tH NepDlIt, DftdIlHtsS anu
aching from the crushing grip of his foe,
but quite game yet, was enabled to turn
Id attention TO the others, he saw Oxford
engaged in deadly contest with three men
whom he was holding at bay with his rife,
which he grasped by the muzzle a. he would
o club, and was whirling about him with
such lghtning-Ike rapidity that it looked
like the flying spokes Of a swiftly-revolving
wheel He had already Drained two of his
sssailants.
Dana and Arthur Fairfax, back to back,
the ore swinging his rifle Justify and the
ether welding a keen sword in his unin-
3ured right hand, were fighting desperately
with four Of the Italians, while a huge
rufian was decidedly worsting poor Roger,
who was bravely trying to defend himself.
Ere Nebbitt could reach him, Roger
groaned deeply. and, suddenly relaxing his
hold on the other, fell backward as If dead.
The Italian raised his knife to strike the
lprostrate man, but Nebbitt had already
picked up the Wallets rife, with which he
dealt the Villain such o terrific blow on the
head that the seaman dropped to the earth
like a'log.
b victor then sprang to the side of Ok
ford, ~splendidly holding his own against
those three swarthy opponents, who did not
dare cone within range of that lightning
swinging rifle, but hung aloof, watching for
. chance 10 spring upo the Englishman.
None too soon was this timely aid; for, de
spairing Of firing their adversary, one OF
the men stepped backward and, STOPPING
S.czy down, picked up a pistol, which he
was just about to fire at Oxford, when Neb-
bItt, with o most awful, blood-curdliug yell
that pierced far into the night and must
have greatly terrified those who remained
on the Vampa, bounded forward with a tire.
mendous leap and brought down the rifle
butt sQuarely upon top of the mans head
with such resistless impetus that it crashed
through lone and brain and literally split
open his skull from top to bottom. driving
the vertebrR of his neck down into his body,
% that, completely collapsed, he was
crushed to the earth as if by the mighty
hammer of o pile-driver, while Nebbitt felt
tho rapid bullet from his dischargtng pistol
bura his own cheek like q hot iron.
Although he could have done so more than
once, Arthur Fairfax refrained from trans
4xing either Of his two men, as he would,
then, lose his sword and thus be- weaponless
asainss the other. However, nerved to des-
peration by that frightfnl yen Of Nebbitt,
BE- made . hasty iunge forward aud passed
The hlnde completely through the larger fell
tw; then, quick as o fash, struck outward
With his left foot. suddenly tripping up the
Other, who fell spawning TO .he ground.
Before the man conld spring to his feet,
Fhirfax whipped out his revolver and shot
HIN through tho head
The remaining four Italians, finding them
solves now outnumbered, turned and fled
towards their boats. Just as Fairfax was
crying out: aLet them got Don't follow
theme q OF the desperadoes unexpected