Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-05-26

my Wrist, might serve me In the light;
might stun the fellow with it, ii for
tune only favored my arm.
1t was duel between US. and, any
way. would sell my life dearly.
With this resolve, drew away from
the door toward that part of the room
where, as fancied, the carved press
stood. l kept my arms free, my body
crouched together, and every muscle
tense and ready.
| backed few feet from the door
and then stopped, as the reflection
crossed my mind that might be back
ing toward my Adversary Then l re-
GREETED that l had left the door,
where at least l might have stood
safe from q rear attack.
could hear nothing but the throb-
bling OF the blood in my temples and
the quick tic-tac, tic tao, tic-tac, tic
tao. tic-tac OF my watch behind me,
yet knew that the murderer must be
moving.
He had his work to do, and must
have made up his mind how to do it
before putting out the light. 1 could
see nothing and the silence and dark
ness were horrible, with the POSSIBLE
ity OF falling upon me from behind.
Yet, how was to guard against that
attack, not knowing where lie was?
Possibly his visual power was strong
er than mine.
l knew by the ticking Of my watch
that the bed was somewhere behind
me, and that l ought to be facing
the oriel; and. as straire
my eyes to catch any rays OF
light that might exist, l fancied
l detected a dim gray seam in the
blackness before me, possibly the
curtain masking the oriel were Slight
y parted.
as continued to stare in that d.
rectlon, | became convinced that this
was the fact, and, slight though the
assurance was, it gave me some feel
ing OF security; in that direction l
migh know OF my foes approach
And, sure enough, at that Very mo-
ment the gray seam was blocked out
He was there. between me and the
orel. My first impulse was to end the
terrible suspense and spring forward
upon him: but prudence checked me,
He might hec!ose to me, or ne might
be close to the oriel,-it was impos-
sible for me to tell merely by the
absence OF. II faint light
lin snsforward, ] lell short OF
him, it would be all over with me-
My force expended in the spring, he
would have me at his mercy, and a
short death was the only kind OF
mercy had to expect. Again, what
feeble light there was must fall upon
HE, as l laced it,-an advantage for
him, terrible peril for me.
Iresolyed to back toward the wall
at the upper end OF the room, and,
guided still by the ticking OF my
watch, l drew back with the stcalthy
caution OF a cat
Suddenly saw the gray seam OF
light again. Had he gone 10 the right
or left? I knew not. Quickly I
stretched my loot Ont behind me; I
felt something, and for the instant
thought | had touched the fellow;
but, as turning about / CROPPED
my hand forward, encountered the
cold woodwork OF the bedstead. 1t
was one OF the carved pillars. l
drew myself up, and got my back
against it. Now, at least, that dread
ed stab in the back was less probable
am not Il coward; yet l own that
the terror OF the following minutes
thrills Inc now as look back upon it,
The impenetrable darkness, the 81
lence, rendered only more intense by
contrast with the perpetual tic-tac,
tlc-tac. tlc-tac, tlc-tac, tic-tac OF the
watch behind me, were made terrific
by the awful uncertainty OF my posi-
ton.
lstood there waiting for the attack,
until. thesuspense growing tolerable,
l felt that l must end it by shoutin.
aloud to Brace, and precipitatins the
final struggle.
II will wait five minutes longer, and
no MORE said to myself. resolving
to calculate the space fairly. and with
due allowance Tor false impressions.
calculated that two minutes had
passed. when f;tncied heard the bed
creak behind me. Was this one OF the
false impressions had promised my.
self to guard against? or was the
sound caused by the man mounting
upon the bel behind me-
The hair bristled upon my head as
thought I heard the creai1 repeated;
yet stood there, and counted anoth-
er minute, with every nerve and fibre
prepared to spring away.
Nov, surely, four minutes are up"
thought, and drew my head
down into my shoulders, for,
as surely MS if my eyes had been
turned that way, and the full light OF
the Sun shining in the room, knew
that the man was behind me upon the
bed.
drew deepinspiration, resolved to
shout my loudest to Brace: but before
the sound had passed my lips fowl
was drawn tight upon my face and
my head jerked back against the post
behind me. A fold of the fowl gagged
me completely; it was with difficulty
breathed. l struggled, but in vain, to
wrench myself away; aquick and sure
hand had knotted the towel. 1
threw up my hands to tear
the thing off; in an instant they