Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-03-01

-
entrance TO the castle lay
across the drawbridge and by
way Of a great stone archway running
through the width of the easterly wing.
his passage. which was not more than
ten feet across. was in effect q vault
twenty feet high and thirty feet long.
It was here that the noise attracted
me, and into this narrow channel I
ran, breaking unanimously upon the
aggregated knot of men that seemed
to struggle in the uncertain light. Stars
illumined the sky very family. but in
that passage the gloom was heavy, and
l could perceive very little. AS l was
casting about. tossing among the sway
ing bodies. I saw Immediately to my
right the fair head of Sheppard rise.
struck with the evening glow from
without. Forthwith l dashed the body
nearest me 10 the ground and with my
fist dislodgcd another man in front of
me. Then l heard Sercombo's voice
raised in angry remonstrauce. l
gathered nothing. neither words nor
sense, from it. but. occupied merely
with the physical lust Of battle. drove
right through the press Of the melee to
Sheppard. 1t seemed to me then that
there We're dozens Of people crowded
within those narrow walls, but I believe.
as a matter of fact. that there were only
some eight of us. Sheppard rose and
fell and rose again.
Med! Ned" he called. and at the
sound. plunging upon human bodies. l
lurched and went under. A stampedc
of feet seemed to rush over me. l felt
battered and bruised: the wind was a.!
out OF my lungs: but. slowly edging Oh
my stomach toward the wall. l drew
out Of the press. AS l did so l heard a
great dull noise, thud, thud. intcrven-
ing upon the sounds Of the struggle.
and presently. my eyes being now &c
customed to the darkness. i caught
sight of Montgomery's tall form, his
arms uplifted and welding a heavy
bar Of iron.
Bravo I cried and, struggling to
my feet, pushed toward him.
Turn, you fools! Curse you. turn.'
said Sercombe's voice.
l was conscious then of white teeth
and a grotesque screw neck that rose
up before me, and even while | put up
my hands to choke it I felt the warm
sting of a knife in my shoulder blade.
By some magical thought. dawninr az
the moment, I recalled Montgomerv's
revolver, which I carried in my breast
pocket, and. producing it. fred at the
bestial form before me. There was a
sharp cry. the enemy appeared to re-
coil, and then Montgomery's fail de-
scended in Il pitiless shower Of blows,
OF Sheppard there was no sign.
Seeing that the ARRAY was turning
in our favor, l sprang to the side, and.
opening a small doorway in the south
erly drum tower, rushed up the stairs.
1t was fortunate that l had made so
complete a study Of the castle. I found
the crank l wanted and turned the
wheel, putting forward all the strength
L had in my muscles. Slowly the
mighty portcullis descended, shriekine
as it fell, but this, as l had hoped. fol
lowing upon the report Of my revolver,
and accompanied as it was with Mont
gomery's continuous and powerful
blows, proved the turning point for our
enemies. AS the grooming gate dc.
scended there were cries uttered in a
foreign tongue, and Il rush ensued for
the gateway. Leaving the machine to
reVolvc by its own impetus, I flew
down into the archway. Sercombc
stood in the light cxpostulating. Mont
gomery's weapon stretched some one
nat upon the stones as ] entered, and the
man crawled off. fred another cham
Der Of the revolver aimlcssly, ana the
fash lit up the passage while the
sound r~everberated duly from tho
groincd vault. The portcullis fell low.
er and Scrcombe was driven across the
drawbridge by his rc~treating allies.
Dead or living. they shall have him"