Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-02-02

Still Leonard might have won through,
for he was swift of foot but neither Juan.
ma nor Otter could run as fast as he, and
his pace must be their pace Before he
had gone so yards he found himself con-,
fronted by dozen or more men, some of
whom had knives In their hands.
Stop, coward, stop and fight, " they.
yelled in Portuguese and Arabic, waving
their knives in his face
Certainly" answered Leonard. wheel
ing round and glancing about him.
There, not 80 yards away, was the
drawbridge of the slave camp, and he
thought he saw it tremble as If it was
about TO fall. Toward him rushed the
great Portugee screaming imprecations,
saber aloft and his hideous face red with
blood At his side were Otter and Juanna.
otter" he said quickly as he drew his
sword, guard my back if you can, for
when / have killed him the rest will
spring. For you, young lady, reach the
bridge il you may. Soa and your people
are there. . Now Xavier was upon him
with a rush. He struck furiously, and
Leonard avoided the blow, springing back
ward out of reach. Twice he rushed ION
thus, and twice he smote but each time
/ Leonard ran backward toward the draw
bridge that now was not more than 20
yards away. A fourth time the Portu-
guese came on, and the Englishman could
not repeat his tactics, for the mob hem
med him in behind. On sped Xavier and
smote his hardest. Leonard saw the steel
CLEAN in the moonlight and lifted his
sword to guard. The blow fell, fire sprung
from it in sparks, and down ratified tho
| fragments of shattered steel His sword
was broken.
Fight on, baas," said the voice of OF
ter. Fight on. Both swords have gone"
Leonard looked up. 1t was true. The
Portugee was casting aside his broken
weapon and clutching at his knife Now,
Leonard had no knife, and at the moment
he never thought of his revolver. But he
still held the hilt of. his sword, and with
it he sprang straight at Xavier, who rush
| ed to meet him. They met with O dull
shock as bull meets bull. He struck one
! blow with the broken sword hilt then
dropped it. 1t was useless.
But the stroke did him good service, for
falling on the right hand of the Portugee
| it paralyzed it for a second, causing him
to let fall the dagger. Then they gripped
each other, fighting desperately with their
naked strength alone. Twice the huge
| Portugee lifted the Englishman from the
ground, striving to throw him, while the
crowd yelled with excitement. But twice
| he failed. Not for nothing had Leonard
| learned wrestling as a lad and hardened his.
| iron muscles by years of toll Xavier may
| have weighed is stone, and he did not
| weigh ID, but his arms were like bars of
! steel, and he was struggling for his life.
| He waited awhile letting the Portugee
| exhaust himself in efforts to hurl him to
| the ground. Then, suddenly tightening
| his grip, Leonard put out his strength. He
could not hope to lift the man, that he
knew, but he might throw him. With a
sudden movement he hooked his right leg
behind Xavier's left calf. Then he cast
his weight forward and pushed with all
his strength upon the great mans breast
Xavier tottered, recovered himself, totter-
ed again and strove to shift his leg. Leon
ard felt the movement and met it with a
supreme effort. Losing his balance, his
foe swayed slowly backward like falling
tree then fell with n thud that shook the
ground 1t was gallant throw, and even
the ranks of Tusculum'' as represented
by the slave drivers could scarce forbear
to cheer Now Leonard lay upon the
breast of the man, for he was pulled down
with him.
For a moment his enemy was still
breathing stertorously, for the shock of
the fall had been great. Leonard looked
around. There some eight feet away, was
the knife, and he who could grasp 1t must
win this deadly game. But how could he
grasp 1t? Xavier, whose strength and
powers were coming back, still Rugged
him in his fearful grip. He also saw the
knife and would win 1t. Rapidly, almost
instinctively, Leonard measured the dis
wit Int
plan-to roll to it. The first roll would
leave him undermost, but the dagger
would still be out of Xavier's reach. Then
If he could only succeed In turning him
upon his back once more Leonard would
be uppermost again, and If he was able to
free his hand 1t might grasp the dagger.
1t was a terrible risk, but he must take it.
He lay motionless awhile, outstanding
his force, and the Portugce surged and
heaved beneath him. He could feel the
muscles of his mighty frame start up in
knots as he struggled. At last he let him
have his way, and over they went, the two
of them. Now Xavier was uppermost, and !
the mob yelled In triumph, for they
thought that the strangers strength was
spent.
1.-THE knife, the knifei" gasped Xavier,
and one of his servants sprang forward to |
give it to him. But Otter was watching
and started out of the press, naked saber
in hand. His fierce and ugly face was |
twitehing with excitement; his black eyes |
shone, and bis vast shoulders worked to !
and fro. To Juanna, fascinated by the |
fierce struggle, the dwarf looked like some |
black gnome, like thing of supernatural |
power, half toad, half human.
He who touches the knife diesr' he |
said in cultural Arabic. stretching his |
long arm and saber over it. LET these |
cocks fight 1t out, my.masters. -
The man shrank back. He also was t
afraid of Otter, deeming him uncanny.
Nor did any others interfere
And now came the moment of death or
victory. As he could not reach the weap-
on, with sudden movement Xavier |
freed his right hand and grasped the Eng
lishmans throat, but to do this he must
lessen the pressure on his breast Leonard |
felt the grip and the knowledge that his |
end was at hand renewed his powers. |
Twice he writhed like a snake, gripping
the ground with the muscles of his back |
and legs Once he swung his frame to
the right, then one vast effort and, 10! |
Xavier turned slowly over like log of |
wood, and again Leonard lay upon his |
breast.
Leonard lay upon his breast, and his |
right arm was free and within reach of
the dagger But the giants grip of his |
throat was cruel. The blood drummed in |
his ears and his senses began to CO. No, |
he would not die thus and leave the girl |
helpless Where was itf He was blind |
He could see nothing but her white face |
He must get free-ah, he knew how! They |
thought that he was done. See, his head |
fell, when suddenly he reared himself up, |
and his arm heaved in the air. Crash 1t
came full on the forehead of Xavier, that
IN Its turn was pillowed on the stony
earth. The grip slackened. Crash again,
a fearful and despairing blow. Leonards
throat was free, and the afr rushed into
his bursting lungs. Now he could see the
knife and grasp it, but there was no need
to use it, The great man beneath him
flung his arms wide, shivered and was
still.
Then it was, while men paused wonder
ing at those awful blows, that Juanna,
mindful of her deliverer' s bidding, turned
and fed, sick at heart, but unhindered, to
the edge of the ditch opposite the draw
bridge. Otter also rushed up and dragged
Leonard from the ground.
Wow" he cried, ga good fight and q
great blow! Dead, by my fathers spirit
dead, and no touch of STEEL Awake, my
father, awake, for If the boar is down the
pigs remain"
Leonard heard his words dimly and
knew their iIuDort With an effort he