The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-03-19
TWO RESCUES
By EVAN MACPHERSON.
UsH! Hold on there, partner"
lack Mort ON wit h ha ndS hurried

IL AASAo oAi tdSASs pal
Jack Norton, with hands buried
in the. pockets of heavy winter over
coat. came striding over the hardened
snow, down the slope of dark and
deserted side street that led to the
East river. He had just caught sight
of another man passing through the
yellow patch of light that marked a
squalid rumshop in basement, and
some instinct prompted him to hail
as partner" this man whom he then
saw for the first time.
The strange man checked an impulse
to look back, but only went on all the
more doggedly. Norton also quick
ened his pace. After few more
strides he could see, in the faint light
which the snow reflected from the last
lonesome gas lamp on the block, that
there was no need of swiftness to catch
up with this man; the street ended
right there in sort of platform with
an iron railing at its edge, and imme-
diately below this railing was the East
river, where cakes of ice swirled out of
the darkness into stray beams of light,
and on into darkness again. The stran-
ger-a strongly built man in thick
peaJacket-stood there. grasping the
head of an iron rail in either hand,
staring out beyond.
Its no good, old man. said Nor
ton, crunching over the fresh snow on
the platform to reach the stranger,
no good. ] thought of doing it my
self. If you'll hold on minute I'll tell
you why
The man in the eajacket turned and
glared at this intruder with the tall
hat and the air of another class.
"Who in thunder are you?" And then,
as if new thought had suddenly oc-
CURED to him, he leaned forward and
peered into Norton's face.
That's all right said Norton,
standing up to the scrutiny as if he had
quite expected it. 'Tm not off my head
not altogether. I only want to
keep you from a mistake ! nearly
made myself. A few minutes ago I
started to come down here and-well,
disappear in that darkness out there.
See those chunks of ice racing each
other? If YOU and / jumped this rail
ing now, we'd be, racing like that next
moment, and with no more idea of
where we were racing to. It's all
like that, the other world is. Chap
named Hamlet settled it all long ago."
well, say, if you amt crazy you've
got more gall than anybody's got
right to and keep their senses. What
you got to do with my affairs?"
Norton laughed aloud. "Your af-
fairs! Don't you see we're in the same
boat, you and I? You Just listen to
me"
no, won't just listen to you," the
other man growled. "And if you know
what's good for you, you'll get away
out of here"
This threat to man who had all but
resolved on suicide struck Norton so
suddenly and sharply as comical that
he broke into roar of laughter. awak-
ening the echoes of the winter night.
His mirth instantly reused the resent
ment of the man in the PEG jacket, who,
backing away from the railing, struck
violently. at him right and left
BY instinct and long habit Norton
put up his hands. He was the taller
man of the two. active and more skill
ful in self-defense than the other: but
long winter overcoat is an awkward
garment for boxing in, and the gloves
proper for a gentleman's afternoon
calls are not at all the prize-ring type.
Handicapped like this. he was less diff
hcult for the smaller man, whose
furious drives and swings fell short
OF his face, but reached his chest and
ribs.
The two clinched and stamped up
and down in the dry snow, their steps
SO mufffed as to be soundless, ever in
the stiffness of that deserted nook.
They fell, graphing fercely. and the
street lamp blinked down at them,
like solitary and impartial witness
Tor both sides, while river steamer
Went putting and grooming past, as If