The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-02-25

ting out his words:
"She-is-where you will be before l
am done with YOU"
"Ah, You murdered her too! You'll
hang some beautiful day, Idaho" said
Graeme as Idaho sprang upon him.
Graeine lodged his blow and caught
his forearm with his left hand and held
up high the murdorous knife. Back
and forward they swayed over the
floor, slippery with whisky, the knife
held high in the air. l wondered why
Graemc did not strike, and then | saw
his right hand hung limp from the
wrist. The men were crowding upon
the barricadc. was in despair.
Graeme's strength was going fast.
With Il yell of eXultant fury Idaho
threw himself with all his weight upon
Graeme, who could only cling to him.
They swaycd together toward me, but
as they fell | brought down my bar
upon the appraised hand and sent the
knife dying across the room. Idaho's
howl OF rage and pain was mingled
with n shout from below, and there,
dashing the crowd to right md left,
came old Nelson, followed by Abe, San
dy, Baptiste, Shaw and others. AS
they reached the barricade 1t crashed
down and, carrying me with it, pinned
me fast.
Looking out between the barrels, 1
saw what froze my heart with horror.
In the fall Graeme had wound his
arms about his enemy and held him
in n grip so deadly that he could not
strike, but Graeme's strength was fail
ing, and when l looked / saw that Ida
no was slowly dragging both across
the slippery floor to where the knife
lay. Nearer and nearer his outstretch-
ed fingers came to the knife. In vain
1 yelled and struggled. My voice was
lost i'll the awful din, and the barri-
cade held me fast. Above me, stand.
ing on n barrel head, was Baptiste,
yelling like II demon. In vain 1 called
to him. My fingers could just reach
his foot, and he needed not at all my
touch. Slowly Idaho vas dragging his
almost unconscious victim toward the
knife. His fingers were touching the
blade point when, under a sudden in
spiration, l pulled out my penknife,
opened 1t with my teeth and drove the
blade into Baptiste's foot. With q
bloodcurdling yell he sprang down and
began dancing round in his rage, peer
ing among the barrels.
"Look! Lookw / was calling in ago
NY and pointing. "For heavens sake,
look, Baptistew
The fingers had closed upon the knife,
the knife was already high in the air,
when, with n Shrek, Baptiste cleared
the room ut a bound, and before the
knife could fall the little Frenchman's
boot had caught the uplifted wrist and
sent the knife flying to the wall.
Then there was n great rushing
sound as of wind through the forest,
and the lights went out. When /
awoke, | found myself lying with my
head on Graeme's knees and Baptiste
s%prinkling snow ON my face. AS I
looked up Graeme leaned over, and,
smiling down into my eyes, he said:
Good boy! 1t was q great fight, and
we put it up we'll" And then he whis.
pered, 81 owe you my life, my boy"
His words thrilled my heart through
and through, for | loved him as only
men car love men, but I only answer
ed:
81 could not keep them back"
at was well DONE" he said, and I
felt proud.
i confess I was thankful to be SO
we'll on of 1t, for Graeme got off with
a zone in his wrist broken and 1 with
a couple Of ribs cracked, but had it not
been for the open barrel of whisky
which kept them occupied for q time,
Offering too good q chance to be lost,
and for the timely arrival Of Nelson,
nnft1,nr Nf ,a, InI araa n4A, fb4 1trhk
again. cd
We found Craig sound asleep upon
his couch. His CONSERVATION on walk
ing TO see us torn, bruised and bloody
was l~aughable, but he hastened to find
us warm water and bandages, and we
soon felt comfortable.
Baptiste was radiant with pride and
delight over the fight and lowered
about Graeme and me, giving vent to
his feelings in admiring French and
English explosives. But Abe was dis
gusted because Of the failure at Sla-
wins, for when Nelson looked in he saw
Slavin's French Canadian wife in
charge, with her baby on her lap, and
he came back to Shaw and said, Come
away; we can't touch this" and Shaw,
uitcl iOohlIlS III, uSTeeu NIuC nOtnluH
could be done. A baby held the fort.
AS Craig listened to the account of
the fight he tried hard not to approve,
but he could not keep the G.lsnm out OF
his eyes, n as 1 pictur2 Graeme
dashing back the crowd thronging the
barricade till he was brought down by
the chair Craig laughed gently and put
his hand on Graeme's knee, and as |
went on to describe my agony while
Idaho's fingers were gradually nearing
the knife his face grew pale and his
eyes grew wide with horror.
"Baptiste here did the business" 1
said, and the little Frencbman nodded
complacently and said:
Oats me for sure"
"By the way, how Is your foot?" ask
ed Graeme.
Hes fuss rate. OATS what you call
-one bite of-of-dat leel bees. He's
dere; you put our finger dere, he's not
dere. What you call himT"
"Flea!' 1 suggested.
"OuiP' cried Baptiste. Oats one
bite of flea."
Il was thankful 1 was under the
barrels" j replied, smiling.
"oui! OATS max me yer mad. I
jump and swear mos awful bad. OATS
pardon me. M'sieu Craig, hehT'
But Cr2ig only smiled at him rather
sadly.
at was nwfullv riskvU ba enid 10