Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-09-21

His shots were = signal for a sharp
| reply from one OF the men below. and
felt Bates start. and pulled him in.
ths blood streaming from his face.
It's ell right, sir~-sn right-only
cut across my cheek. slr'-and an
other ballet smashed through the
glsss. squirting plaster dust from the
wall. fierce onslaught below caused
tremendous crash TO echo through
the house. and I heard firing on tho
opposite side, whore the enemy's TO
serve Was waiting.
Bates. with a handkerchief 20 his
face. protested that he was unhurt.
Come below; there's nothing to Be
gained here"-Rsd I ran down to the
hall. where Stoddsrd stood, leaning
upon hts club like Hercules. and
coolly watching the door as IL lesped
and shook under tbs repeated blows OF
the besiegers.
A gun roared again at the side OF
the house. and ran to the library.
where Larry had pushed furniture
against all the long windows save one,
which be held open. He stepped out
upon the terrace and emptied a reVol-
YER at the men who were now creep
Ing along the edge OF the ravine be-
meath Us. One OF them stopped aud
discharged a ride at US with deliber-
etc aim The ball snapped snow from
the bRlustrsde snd screamed away
harmlessly.
Bah" such monkeysi" he NUT
tered. I believe I've hit that chap"
One man had fallen and lay bowling
In the rsVine. his hand 70 his thigh.
while his comrades paused. demon
allied.
Serves you right you blaokgusrdl~
Larry muttered.
pulled him IN and we jammed a
cabinet against tho door and returned
20 the hail.
Meanwhile the blows at the front
door continued with increasing VIC
lenoe. Stoddsrd stin stood where
had left him. Bates was not n sight
bOt the barking OF a revolver above
showed that ne had returned to the
window 70 wrssk vengeance on his en-,
emies.
Stoddard shook his head In depreca.
ten.
They hred arst-we can't do less
than get back AZ them" / said. be-
tween the blows OF the battering ram.
A panel OF the great Oaken door
now splintered but In their fear that
We might use the broken panel "a a
loopholo, they soampered out into
range OF Bates revolver. In return we
heard a rail- Of small shot on the uu-
per Windows aud a few seconds later
Larry shouted that the thanking party
was again az the terrace.
This movement evidently heartened
the sheriT, for. under a fire from
Bates, hts me1 charged again and the
log crashed into tho door. shakin, Il
free from the upper hinges. The low
er fastenings were wrenched loose an
Instant later. and the men came turl-
BLING Into the hal-the sheriff. Nor
gan and -four others had never seen
before. simultaneously the thanking
party begIr smashing the small panes
OF the library windows. We could
hear the flass crack and tinkle above
the confusion at the door.
In the hall he was certainly n lucky
man who held 70 his weapon a mo-
ment after The door tumbIed in
blased az the sheriff with nv reyol-
yer. but he stumbled and half fell al
the threshold. 80 that tho ball passed
over him. and Ne promptly gr4pped
me by the legs and had mo prone and
half dszed by tho rap OF my head on
the floor.
l suppose I was two or three min
utes at east getting my wits. I was
nrst conscious OF Bates Erappung
With the sheriff. who sat upon mo and
as they struggled With each other
got the fun benefit Of their combined.
s"erving. tossing weight. Morgan and
Larry were trying for a chance at each
other with revolVors, while Morgan
backed tho lr!shman slowly toward
the library. Stoddard had selzed one
or the unknown deputies by the col
lar and gave him a tremendous swing.
Jerking him high In the air and driv-
ing him against another invader with
blow hat knocked both fellows
spinning INTO a corner.
Come on TO the nbraryl" shouted
Larry, and Bates. who had got me 20
my feet, pushed me down the hall to
ward tho open library door.
Bates presented at this moment an
extraordinary appearance. with tie
blood from the scratch on his face
coursing down his check and upon HIS
shoulder. His coat and shirt had been
torn away and the blood smeared over
hts breast The fury and Indignation
In his face was something l hope not
TO see again in a human countenance.
MY God. this room-this beautiful
room!" I heard him CRY as he drove
mo before him into the library. TT
was Mr. Glenarm's pride" he NUT
tered, and sprans upon a bury fell
low who had come in through one OF
tho library doors and was climbing
over the long table We had overturned
TO serve as a barricade.
We were now between two fires.
The sheri1's party had fought valiant
ly 20 keep US ont OF the library, and
now that we were within. Stoddard's
big shoulders held the door half closed
against the combine strength of tho
men In the hall. TArs pause was for
tun2te, for II gave Us an opportunity
to deal singly with the fellows who
were climbing IA from tho terrace.