The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1907-06-15

! of the library windows. We could
: hear the glass crack and tinkle above
~ the confusion at the door.
In the hall he was certainly lucky
" man who held to his weapon a mo.
81 ment after the door tumbled in. I
RS blazed at the sheriff with my revol.
T yer, but he stumbled and half fell at
the threshold, so that the ball passed
" over him, and he promptly gripped
. me by the legs and had me prone and
half dazed by the rap of my head on
s., the floor.
I suppose I was two or three min
utes at least getting my wits I was
first conscious of Bates graphing
with the sheriff, who sat upon me, and
as they struggled with each other I
got the full benefit of their combined,
swerving. tossing weight Morgan and
Larry were trying for chance at each
other with revovers, while Morgan
backed the Irishman slowly toward
CO.. the library. Stoddard had seized ono
: OF the unknown deputies by the col
lar and gave him tremendous swing,
Jerking him high in the air and driv.
ing him against another invader with
a blow that knocked both fellows
spinning into corner.
Come on to the library" shouted
Larry, and Bates, who had got me to
my feet, pushed me down the hall to-.
u ward the open library door.
Bates presented at this moment an
extraordinary appearance, with the
blood from the scratch on his face
courstng down his cheek and upon his
shoulder. His coat and shirt had heen
torn away and the blood sneared over
his breast. The fury and indignation
IN his face was something | hope not
to see again in human countenance.
my God, this room-this beautiful
7@1room!" heard him cry as he drove
me before him into the library ct
was Mr.. Glenarm's pride" he NUT.
tered and sprang upon a burly fell
low who had come in through one of
the library doors and was climbing
over the long table we had overturned
X to serve as barricade.
ID - We were now between two fires.
The sheriff's party had fought valiant
ly to keep us out Of the library. and
now that we were within. Stoddards
L big shoulders held the door half closed
against the combined strength of tho
men In the hall. This pause was for
= tunate, for 1t gave us an opportunity
to deal singly with the fellows who
- we're climbing in from the terrace.
$ Bates had laid one of them low with a
club and Larry disposed of another
who had made murderous effort to
stick knife into him. | was with
Stoddard against the door where the
sheriff's men were slowly gaining
upon me.
'"' Let go on the jump when say
- three" said Stoddard. and at his word
we sprang away from the door and
W into the room. Larry yelled with joy
as the sheriff and his men pitched for.
ward and sprawled upon the floor:
then we were at it again in hand-to-
:" hand conflict to clear the room.
Hold that position, sir" yelled
Bates
Morgan had directed the attack
!; against me and I was driven upon the
"a, hearth before the great fireplace. The
sheriff, Morgan and Ferguson hemmed
: me in. 1t was evident that I was the
chief culprit, and they wished to elm
inate me from the contest. Across the
= room, Larry, Stoddard and Bates We're
=, engaged in lively rough and tumble
with the rest Of the besiegers, and
etoddard, seeing my plight, leaped the
/. overturned table, broke past the trio
and stood by my side, swinging a
z. chair.
& At that moment my eyes. sweeping
the broken outer doors, saw the face
= of Pickering. He had come to SEQ
4 that his orders were obeyed. and re-
g member yet my satisfaction. as, hem.
3 med in by the men he had hired to
s.ekill me or drive me out. l felt.
% rather than saw, the cowardly horror
depicted upon his face.
Then the trio pressed upon me. AS
~ threw down my club and drew my
- revolver, some one across the room
{. flred several shots, whose roar
through the room seemed to arrest the
j night for an instant, and then. while
Stoddard stood at my side swinging
his chair defensively. the great chan
y delier, loosened or broken by the
shots, fell with mighty crash of it's
scrystal pendants. The sheriff, leaping
away from stoddard's chair, was
a struck on the head and borne down by
the heavy glass.
3 Smoke from the firing floated in
clouds across the room, and there was
=. I moments silence save for the sheriff,
afwho was groaning and cursing under
the debris of the chandelier At the
door chickering's face appeared again
r. anxious and frightened. l think the
scene in the room and the slow prog
ress his men were making against us
had half-paralyzed him.
#sF+ We were all getting our second wind
a. for renewal of the fight, with Nor
@.- gan in command of the enemy. One
8 or two of his men, who had gone down