The Columbus journal., 1908-10-14
CHAPTER XIV.
On the Road.
Ong boy.

The wrong boy!
For a moment l could not under
stand nor believe; and when the mean
ing of the words came to me l CROPPED
in mental darkness. But there was no
time for speculation. Ealf in daze l
heard a roar of curses, orders, crash
of glass as the lamp was eXtinsWshed,
and over all came the prolonged grown
of a wolf-vOice, hoarSe and shaken
with anger. There was a vision Of
wOIf-head rising above the outline OF
faces a few yards away, dark, dlS-
torted, fierce. with eyes that biazed
threats, and in an instant L found my
self in the center of a struggling,
shouting, swearing mass OF savage
men, fighting with naught bat the in
stinct of blind rage. l doubt not that
| was as crazy as the rest. But in
nv madness there was one idea strong
in my mind. 1t was to reach the even
face and snake-eyes of Tom Terrill,
and stamp the life out OF him. with
desperate rage l shOuldered and
fought till his white face with its
venomous hatred was next to mine,
till the fingers of my left hand gripped
his throat. and my right hand tried
to beat out his brains with six
shooter.
Damn you" he gasped. striking
fiercely at me- I've been waiting for
you"
| heightened my grip and spoke no
word. He writhed and turned. striv-
ing to free himself. l had knocked his
revolver from his hand. and he tried
in vain to reach it. A trace OF fear
stole into the venomous anger of the
one eye that was unobscured, as he
strove without success to guard him.
self from my blows. But he gave a
sudden thrust, and with a sinuous
writhe he was free. while l was car
ried back by the rush of men with the
vague impression that something was
amiss with me. Then a great light
famed up before me in which the
struggling mob, the close hall and
room, and the universe itself melted
away, and l was alone.
The next impression that came to
me was that of voice from an i'm
measurable distance.
Hes coming to-" is said: and then
beside it / heard a strange wailing
cry.
What is it," l asked, trying to sit
I'D. NV voice seemed to come from
miles away and to belong to some
other man. -.
That's it. you're all right" said
the voice encouragingly, and about
the half of Niagara fell on my face.
Then the mists before my eyes
cleared away, and l found that l was
on the floor of the inner bedroom and
Wainwright had emptied a water jug
over me. The light of a small kero-
sene lamp gave a gloomy illumination
to the place. Lockhart and Fitzhugh
leaned against the door, and Wilson
bent with Wainwright over me. The
boy was sitting on the bed. crying
shrilly over the melancholy situation
What is it," asked. gathering my
scattered wits. What has happened?'
We've been licked" said Vain
wright regretfully. The rest of the
boys got took, but We got in here.
Fitz and me seen the nasty knock you
got, and dragged you back. and when
We got you here the parlor was full
of the hounds. and Porter and Abrams
and Brown was missing. We found
you was cut, and we've tried to fix
you up"
/ looked at my bandged arm, and
put one more count in the Indictment
against Terrill. He had tried to stab
me over the heart at the time he hai
wrenched free, but he had n.c.ely
slashed my arm. 1t was nc; d severe
wound, but it ga o me pain.
Only a scratch" said Wainwright
envied the philosophic calm with
which he regarde :.
It'll heal" l returned shortly.