Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1906-08-01


ponent, covering the Sran with bloodl
The evident cruelty. to be exercised
by Whalen, if he had The chance,
neryed Louis to rerfofm the same act
upon him that Whaien would have
done Before his hurley antagonist
recovered from the first shock. Louis
severed his ear from his body.
With a well executed thrust and
slash, Louis cut off Whaen's rose
and with knock upon the hand forced
him to release his hold uron his
bowie. Too late that individual re.
allied that Louis was his master.
Louis was not cruel man by any
means. In mutilating Whalen in the
manner shown, he had an object in
view. BY catering to the cry for
blood, Louis was in hopes that he
might be spared the revolving task of
killing his antagonist by giving this
exhibition of blood-letting. So, after
placing Whalen completely at his
mercy by graphing with him and
throwing him upon his back, gladiator
like, Louis waited for some sign Of
relenting on the part of Schiller, in
which it would be possible to save the
wretch.
Tho king was immovable "Kill'
was his command,
Louis tossed his knife from him.
II cannot take this mans life in cold
blood" he said vehemently "By
what right do you make me his exc
cutioner? | have shown you, We peo-
pie of Paradise, that with the bowie
| am this mans master. cannot-I do
not want to be forced to kill hint"
This harangue had its effect only
on few more tenderhearted than the
rest, but Schiller seeing that Lang had
horror of ending the scene in death,
fiendishly ordered "Kill!p The shock
to Schiller's nerves in seeing Louis
so easily conquer Whalen, made him
less than half human.
Despite the order to kill. Louis re-
solved to give Whalen another chance,
and then If opportunity presented it,
self ito end the struggle He stopped
down to pick up the knife he had dis
carded, intending to allow Whalen the
same privilege before the final strug-
gle began.
Louis, in throwing WhaIen, had
thrown him directly upon the knife
he had knocked from his hand The
mutilated, conquered man, when he
felt the knife under him, grasped it
tightly, while a grain of hope shot
through his veins, and a look of in
tense hatred crossed his bleeding face.
Whalen partially rose to his feet, re-
naming in crouching position, hang
ing his head, while Louis begged for
his life. No generous action on the
part of Louis would stay the murder
GUS hand that was raised against him.
AS Louis stopped to pick up his
knife, Whalen bounded to his feet
and sprang toward bimi There was
hush on deathlike silence; no voice
was raised in warning to aid Lang
Schiller who saw the action Of Wha-
len, expected to see our hero annihf-
lated before a voice or hand could
be raised to save him A piercing
screaml Louis OWNED the cause, turn
ed without picking up his knife and
grappled with his assailantl If Louis
had stopped to regain his knife, or II
he had taken but one step forward
his life would have paid the penalty.
But he saw the act of Whalen, and in
his STOPPING position, like the taclxler
in the football game, while the would
be assassin was stretched to his full
height expecting to cover space,
tackled his opponent around the
waist with one arm, and with the
other easily wrenched the knife from
his almost 5enumbed hand, turning
the blade against the assassin's
breast Once before had scene of
this kind been enacted in our hero's
life, and as before the aggressor fell
pierced to the heart with his own
weaponi
Peal upon peal of applause rang out
at the outcome of the struggle. The
semi-barbarous people of brutal IN
stinct cheered the victori
With his arms folded across his
breast in questioning attitude, Lang
stood before the king, waiting to be
pronounced free. The outcome had
been so unexpected that Schiller
seemed to be devoid of speech.
Ito be continued)