The Weiser semi-weekly signal. (Weiser, Washington Co., Idaho) 1904-1911, 1904-04-23

Hardly had he traversed a dozen
OF these treacherous stepping stones
when he was discovered, and, glanc-
ing back, he saw to his horror that
he was being followed by Old Tom.
He looked at the swirling river be-
low him, and the world was reeling
about him. A cold perspiration stood
upon his face. He became nervous,
blind almost, and felt an almost ir-
resistible impulse to throw himself
into the river and end the suspense.
Old Tom, however, was at home in
this kind of an enterprise. 1t was
pastime to him, and he crept from
pile to pile with the cat-like agility
which had won him his name.
1t was fearful race. The moon
had now made some Roadway, and
its light fell upon the black river
and gave it the semblance of oxy-
died silver Another backward
glance, and CLEAN of light revealed
something bright in Old Toms hand.
1t was long, sharp knife.
Warde shivered.
On went the two figures leaping
from pile to pile, one with trembling
and uncertain steps, the other with
the easy confidence of one to whom
the way was familiar.
Old Tom was gaining steadily upon
him, and Warde, with some reeling
and despair in his heart, saw that he
could not escape.
Suddenly he remembered his pis-
toll. He did not want to use it as
long as he had been in the saloon,
for he knew very well that if he had
killed anybody the mob would have
torn him to pieces with joyous unan-
unity; and in his effort to escape he
had for the time forgotten it. 1t
was now his only hope unless Fen
ton should come to his assistance. !
He turned about upon the pile on
which he was standing so as to con-
front his adversary. The latter was
approaching him confidently and res
olutely. His one grim object was the
death of the reporter.
The shadowy houses on the shore
were rising and falling as If they
were about to plunge into the stream
The silver lines of light played over
the face of the water. He could see
the great steamboats,, with their red
and green lights and their trailing
banners of black smoke, rounding the
bends or putting into the wharf. All
else was silence. Even the crowd of
reckless criminals, craning their
necks from the back door, were
dumb with excitement as they wait
ed the duel between the men upon
these black stumps.
The stars were silent, and they
were cold, too. Warde felt that they
did not care.
In his eagerness to get out his
pistol, his hand trembled so that the
weapon, catching in his clothing,
slipped and fell into the river.
Where could Fenton be, he won
dered in vague way? Had he en-
tered the Rest and been disposed of?
Warde called to him several times
but received no response; but he had
no time now to look toward the
shore. Old Tom was nearly upon
him. and he determined that if he
had to die, it should only be after
a game fight. He braced himself
as firmly as he could upon his pile
prepared to use his fists upon his ap-
preaching antagonist, and drag him
down to death with him.
Old Tom had just lighted on the
pile next to him and was getting
ready to leap.
A pistol shot broke upon the air
the cleaning knife dropped into the
stream and Old Tom gave a terrible
cry of mingled pain and disgust, anc
then crouched down and held to his
pile to prevent himself from falling
into the river, but his strength was
not great enough, and he slipped int
the swirling water and was dragged
away from sight.
In the meantime a skiff which hat
been moored on the bank just unde
the rear of the Rest was pushed GU
from shore, and in a few second
Fenton had Warde safely within II
Getting outside the line of piles, Fen
ton began to pull away. 1t was
shrewd move on his part, for tn
crowd within the saloon had surge
back through the front door, ana 81
MCGEE could be heard calling for hi
skiff. Then followed mingled erie
of rage and disappointment, an
when the boat was detected movin
away beyond the row of piles, nun
. Der of scattering shots were fired.
Fenton stopped long enough to FIR
. back at the crowd and as it turne
out, casually shot away small SEE
, ton of Mr.. McGee's nose. Then b
, bent TO the oars with all his Nigh
and pulled for the wharf, which wa
, about a mile away. II did not TAX
! him long TO get beyond the range
! the strange shots that were ser
Sizing after him.