The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-10-16

but the firm hand of the nurse re-
strained me.
In another moment light appeared
through my bedroom window. Warren
had found the matches at my bedside.
l could distinctly see him move
about. He felt my bed and found it
still warm, then carefully examined
my boots and clothing. Suddenly a
happy thought struck him, and he
walked to the bed and looked under it;
finding no one, he stood irresolute,
and the match went out.
He was too cunning to light the
candle, so struck another, and with
less stealth made for the other room.
AS soon as he caught sight of the
whiskey bottle he made for that, and
pouring out half tumblerful, drank
it at draught, and then dashing the
empty tumbler into the tirepalce, gave
ont his first utterance, hearty, deep
chested "Damn!' Then he came to
the door.
There he stood irresolute for several
moments. I knew he was wondering
where his victim could be hidden and
how he could best effect his purpose.
He rapidly decided, so | gathered
from his movements, too lie in wait for
me in the cIump of bushes just to the
right of those in which we were hidden.
Into the middle of these he walked,
and taking one last look round, slowly
stopped and hid himself.
There was no longer any doubt in
my mind as to the course l should
adopt, and as 1 clutched my stick for
the fight that knew must follow, and
the nurse no longer restrained me,
l concluded that she, at last, was of the
same opinion.
The mans back was toward me, but
he was on higher level than We were,
and on the side most distant from us
the hill sloped rapidly. 1t was toward
this point crept, and had approached
to within six feet of him without max
ing the slightest noise, when dry
stick broke beneath my feet. 1t was
too risky to leave it longer. So |, TAX
ing deep breath. made my bound
one tremendous bound that landed me
at his back. Instantly catching him
by the shoulders, I rolled him over
onto the steep incline. Then 1 sprang
to him, and with my knees held down
his arms, especially the arm that had
the Ak in it, for it still CLEANED in the
moonlight. He fell more easily than
l had anticipated; my taking him by
surprise had probably robbed him of
his strength, or, on the other hand, the
knowledge that my life was in danger
he fell easily enough; but the question
was, could 1 hold him down? Could I
master him in the end?
AS the man writhed and curled and
cursed under me, felt that, notwith-
standing his privation, he still had the
strength of bullock. Twice he nearly
succeeded in getting from under me,
and twice l got him back in his old
position; the third time he made
gigantic effort, and would have sue
ceeded had not the chain which was
tied to his knee got caught by stump
in his efforts to throw me off.
Some idea of the mans strength may
be gathered from the fact that with
one kick he broke the string and
freed himself. The difference in our
weight, our build and muscular devel-
opment was now rapidly telling in his
favor, and I knew that unless help
came a few more minutes would see
him victorious. But help did come,
and again from my friend, the nurse.
She had watched the struggle I'M
seen by Warren, but when she saw
that we were SO unevenly matched she
rushed up and threw herself across his
feet. In a moment she had found the
chain hanging from one foot with It's
string attached, and the iron ring still
clasping the other; another moment
and they were firmly tied together;
then moving up to his head, she caught
the head OF the ak with piece OF her
waterproof, to save her hands, and as
l held his arm down, she twisted the
ak from him and threw it away.
The mans face, when he found him
self beaten and baffled, shall never
forget he cursed and clenched his
teeth like maniac, and his eyes rolled
like some inhuman monsters. He
clutched first at me and then at the
nurse, apparently without any definite
object in view, but as an outlet for his
rage; at length he caught her by the
hem of her waterproof and tugged so
violently that every moment l thought
che must have fallen over him; but it
was impossible for me to release her,
for all my time and strength were taken
up in meeting and combating his many
attacks on me, first with his hands and