Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-05-24
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and / again turned to the manhole
hoping vaguely that. even If / could
not open, it, / might perhaps hear SONS
conversation through the grating that
would serve as q sort of clew to the
grewsome doings beneath.
AS laid my hand on the iron work
again 1t touched cold, heavy object
which had certainly not been there q
moment before, and, picking it up and
holding 1t between me and the sky,
saw, to my amazement, that 1t was my
own revolver, to the handle OF which
was tied bit Of folded paper.
For an instant my heart seemed II
stop and / remained rigid on my knees
with my arms appraised as had held
out my pistol for inspection, fearing to
move through very terror Of my own
shadow. My breath caught in my
throat and then came in short, heavy
gasps, while the wind alternately
moaned and roared about me and oc-
casional thick damp snowfiakes lightly
touched my ashen face.
There certainly had been no sound
or motion in front Of me where !
found the pistol. and / had convinced
myself that the cracking had heard
at my back, and which was some dis
lance away at best, had been due to
nothing more than the wind.
At length, and with trembling I'm
gers, removed the paper from the
stock Of the weapon and stuffed 1t into
my pocket, so that l could examine 1t
later. and was about to rise nervously
to my feet, when again heard q slight
disturbance In the shrubbery to one
side of me and saw nan approach
ing stealthily and apparently on all
fours.
With no thought Of the consequences
and in an actual frenzy of terror, I
raised the pistol and fired at him point
blank. but the cartridge failed to ex-
plode or else the chambers were
empty, and, with frantic shrek.
sprang to MY feet and threw myself
headlong upon him.
He seemed entirely unprepared for
this attack, but he made no sound and
strove manfully to defend himself as
I grappled at his throat and we rolled
over and over down the yelyety lawn
to the river.
was considerably hamperedlby my
overcoat and having no desire to go
into the water with him, I. relaxed my
efforts somewhat. when, with almost
superhuman strength and emitting a
cry that indicated a degree Of terror
equal to my own, he tore himself from
my grasp and sped away in the direo-
ton Of the turnpike.
Feeling, now, that was his master,
/ dashed madly after him, pulling OF
my coat as ran, and was gaining
slowly upon him in spite Of the re-
doubled efforts that he made, when, on
the sharp incline that led down to the
road, he stumbled and fell and l was
upon him again in q moment.
My victory was short lived, however,
for as he struggled fiercely to free
himself from my grasp and l. with
equal fury. strove to choke or beat
him into a state of submission, we
again rolled over and over in the grass
until. as luck would have II, my LEI
caught in strand of the barbed wire
fence that enclosed the property at
this out-of-the-way point, and once
more he succeeded IN freeing himself
a7d tore down the road in the direo-
ton Of the village.
NY clothing was torn and mud
stained, my hands and face were
bruised and bleeding. ached in every
limb and was well nigh exhausted with
the furious and protracted encounter,
and l was hatless and coatless into the
bargain, but l at least had enc cause
for conEratulation.
In my second wrestle with my hith.
erto unknown assailant had been
able to get a sufficiently good view OF
his face to identity him positively and,
in spite Of the remarkable protesta-
tons Of ignorance concerning the Car
ney-C Croft mystery which had heard
him make to the widow only the night
before, and which was now forced to
believe were but part Of q little com.