El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-24

l vaulted out with a parting word to
Foster. 'Look to your revolver, Tom,
I said, "and mind you let him well
in
The veranda came to an end about
ten feet from the window of the spare
room, and 1 took up my post upon the
former behind the last pillar, the thick
creepers growing round which would
have completely concealed me even in
broad daylight. It was now about 1 l
O'Clock, and everything was very still
Not a sound was heard in the house.
not rustic in the deep woods beyond
A clock in the house chimed midnight
Still dead silence One o'clock, and no
sign of Flower. 1t was a dreary work
waiting there in the darkness. and
began to long for action. Foster, |
knew. must be fretting his heart out
Two o'clock-ah, What was that =?
Family borne on the still air, my
strained ears could catch the sound of
a horse shaking himself with saddle
and bride away down on the fat.
''Our man is at hand, l thought.
''He has hung up his horse below there
He cant be very far away now.
Ten minutes more or so of silence,
and then l heard a slight rustl;ng
among the shrubs in front of the house
and sounds of stealthy feet treading
cautiously l peered out from behind
my pillar But it was too dark to see
more than a few feet away. Nearer
and nearer came the footballs. Minutes
passed so slowly that they seemed like
hours, and at length the strange visitor
appeared, moving slowly forward, max
ing for the west window. At last he
reached it and stood still. Were his
suspicious aroused | wondered. l held
my breath, and, gripping my revolver,
prepared to spring, when suddenly a
beam of light glowed in the darkness
under the window, and the next in
slant the robber flashed the broad blaze
of dark lantern into and all around
the room. As instantly two reports
rang out in rapid succession. and as
sprang with a bound from my hiding
place 1 heard a bullet sing away over
the garden and loud cry from Foster
''I'm hitl''
Flower heard me coming and turned
to meet me. So short was the distance
between US that our revolvers crashed
together in the air. exploding harm
lessly as they met. For moment each
seized and held the others wrist as in
wise. and then, as if by tacit agree
ment. our revolvers were dropped to
the ground, and we locked in deadly
grapple. 1t was no child's play. Both
of us were strong and 1.-THE and active,
and we reeled and swayed hither and
thither, with not sound between US
but the quick gasping breaths that
broke from each in the dreadful effort
to gain the vantage. But the struggle
was as short as it was violent Flower
was the heavier man, and with d fierce
trouble at my heart 1 felt myself borne
backward to the ground, my antago
nist's knee upon my chest and his strong
fingers gripping my throat and COM
pressing my windpipe. so that to call
for aid was now impossible. His dark.
bearded face was close to mine, and his
hot breath stif1ed me as he painted forth
a string of furious oaths.
Course your he said. you've
spoiled my game again, as you We done
this many time before But IS my
turn now. and I'll leave my mark on
you before 60
The breath was nearly squeezed out
of my body; but, half unconscious as 1
was, l dimly saw a long bladed knife
raised above me, and then some one
leaped from the window, fell, raised
himself again - crackl crackI one
shot after the other, the knife clat-
tered harmlessly to the ground. The
grip on my throat relaxed, and, shak-
ing himself free, the bushranger bound
ed through the shrubbery before L could
collect my scattered senses.
'.Helpl" roared Foster, for it was he
who had come to my rescue so oppor-
timely. "HelpI" he cried again, send
ing another shot in the direction Flow
er had taken, and then he reeled to and
fro like drunken man, and, just as
staggered to my feet and Mr.. Ingram
came rushing out. fell prone upon the
ground.
But now the whole esta blishment