The Holly chieftain., 1903-03-20

h:s right hand. while his left clutched
the frightened girl by the throat.
Raising my club, uttered q prayer
for muscular strength. It must have
been answered. Tne club descended
upon the skull Of Dambo, and he fell
back. half stunned, the hand that had
been at Nitas throat relaxed its hold,
ana the knife fell from the other to
the floor.
''Nita!" cried, seizing the half
fainting girl, and seeking to reassure
her. You are safe! You know me!
am Wilberton, your friend!"
"Signor Wilberton!" she easped.
What does 1t mean? And what means
all the noise, the shots and the cries.
Are we attacked? Are they friends
or foes. Is the prefetto's house In
danger?"
l threw aside my wig and beard to
assure her Of my identity.
The villa is attacked by the Count
di Pordino." l said, who seeks to take
you away by force. But the warning
was brought in time. and the soldiers
OF the prefetto are fighting on the
forces of the count"
Nita was now beside herself with
grief, passion and fear. STOPPING, she
picked up the knife that Dambo had
dropped.
Il will do 1t, signor Wilberton." she
said. Il am no longer weak. am a
woman, but l can fght. have been
. circus performer, and can take my
own part. Let them come. I. will kill
the prefetto and will kill the count
But II they conquer me and fail to
kill them. will plunge this knife into
my own heart rather than become
the bride. the slave, of the Count di
Pordino."
Her eyes flashed as she spoke, her
bosom rose and fell in an excess of
emotion. and the delicate but muscu-
lar little fingers grasped the handle
of the knife in most determined way.
Now Dambo, who had been motion
less sunder the effects of the merciless
blow l had given him, began to crawl
away from me. Springing to the win
dow. which was shaded with heavy
lace curtains, held in festoons by cord,
tore the cord away, and seizing the
Italian, bound him strongly and Sc
curely, and warning him not to make
any further attempt to escape, left
him in heap on the floor.
The din in and around the villa was
now something awful. Sounds of rifle
shots, cries, shrieks, means and curses
reached us through the doors and win
dows. and rushed out on the balcony
to get peep at the scenes OF war be-
low.
More lights had been brought. Ian.
terms flashed all over the villa grounds.
The monastery bells were changing the
midnight alarm. The battle had be-
come hand-to-hand struggle, the
forces of the prefetto essaying not
only to defend the villa from attack,
but to drive the invaders from the
place, and the horde of cutthroats un-
der the Count di Pordino still hot in
the hunt for Nita Barlotti, and what
ever else Of plunder they could lay
their hands to.
Backward and forward the clashing
groups ran, shouting, shooting. stab
bing, blinded by rage and passion, in
famed by the blood already spilled, de-
stroying life where they could. fearing
not death themselves.
To my eye It seemed as II the
Count di Pordino's bandits were gain
ing. And Il the military failed to
arrive from Cagliari. all would SOON
be up with Nita Barlotti and me.
Apart from the other struggling
combatants, two stalwart men swayed
to and fro in fight to the death.
One had worn mask, and 1t had fall
en- on, disclosing the features Of the
Count di Pordino. The other was
Maligni. the prefetto of Cagliari.
They were armed with knives, and
as they writhed and twisted in each
others grasp, the knives were
plunged first into one and then into
the other, until 1t seemed as II they
surely must drop dead from their
wounds.
Near these two struggling princi-
pals in the ARRAY stood Brother Mich
ael, the Jesuit. and 80 silent and cold
was he, amid the boiling and seething
of the caldron around him, that his
calmness thrilled me as in another
some great deed of yalor might do.
And Nita saw him, and watched the
silent figure moment In wonder. SO
distinct and apart from the entire
scene did he seem to be.
.h1 ~r,ht