The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-05-16

with his first leap Gale had carried
the lamp and the table. with him, and
the two had clinched in the dark.
Burrell had waited an instant too
long for the mems voices had held so
steady, their words had been so vital,
that the finish found him unprepared;
but. thrusting the lantern into Poleon's
hand. he had backed off pace and
hurled himself at the door. He fell to
his knees inside and an instant later
found himself wrestling for his life
between two raging beasts. The lieu
tenant knew Doret must have entered,
too. though he could not see him, for
the lantern shed a sickly gloom over
the chaos. He was locked desperately
with John Gale, who flung him about
and handled him like child, fighting
like an old gray wolf hoary with years
and terrible in his rage Only for the
lanterns light Gale would doubtless
have sheathed his weapon in his new
assailant. but the more fiercely the
trader struggled the more tenaeiously
the soldier chung. AS it was, Gale car
ried the lieutenant with him and
struck over his head at Stark.
Poleon had leared into the room at
Burrell's heels to receive the impact of
heavy body hurled backward into his
arms as if by some irresistible force.
He seized it and tore it away from the
thing that pressed after and bore down
upon it with the ferocity of a wild
beast. He saw Gale reach over the
lieutenant's head and swing his arm,
saw the knife blade bury itself in what
he held, then saw it rip away and felt
a hot stream squirt into his face. Do
ret glimpsed Burrell rising from his
knees his arms about the traders
waist, and the next instant the COM
batants were dragged apart.
The lieutenant wrenched the drip
ping blade from Gales hand 1t no
longer cleaned, but was warm and
slippery in his fingers. Poleon held
Stark's gun, which was empty and
smoking.
The fight had not lasted a minute,
and yet what terrible havoc had been
with his own blood, which gushed
from him, black in the yellow flicker
and so plentifully that the Frenchman
was befouled with it, while Gale, too,
was horribly stained, but whether
from his own or his enemy's veins it
was hard to tell. The trader paid no
heed to himself nor to the intruders,
allowing Burrell to push him back
against the wall, the breath wheeling
in and out of his lungs, his eyes fas-
tened on Stark.
Il got you. Bennett!' he cried
hoarsely. Your magic is no good
His teeth showed through his grizzled
muzzle like the fangs of some wild
animal.
Bennett, or Stark, as the others
knew him. lunged about with his cap
tor, trying to get at his enemy and
crying curses on them all, but he was
like child in Poleon's arms. Grad
ually he weakened, and suddenly re-
sistance died out of him.
"Come away from here" the lieuten-
ant ordered Gale
But the old man did not hear and
gathered himself as if to resume the
battle with his bare hands, whereupon
the soldier, finding himself shaking
like a frightened child and growing
physically weak at what he saw,
doubted his ability to prevent the en-
counter and repeated his command.
"Come awayw he shouted. But the
words sounded foolishly fat and
inane.
Then Stark spoke intelligibly for the
first time.
ARREST him. You've got to believe
what l told you now, Burrell." He
poured forth a stream Of unspeakable
profanity, smitten by the bitter knowl-
edge of his first and only defeat
You'll hang, Gaylord! I'll see your
| neck stretched!' To Poleon he painted
excitedly: II followed him for fifteen
years, Doret He killed my wifev'
| Oats ID lier' said the French
man.
mo, it isn't. He's under Indictment
! for it back in California He shot her
| down in cold blood, then ran off with
my kid. That's her he calls Necia
| She's mine Amt right, lieutenant?'
At this final desperate effort to fix
the crime upon his rival Burrell turn
| ed on him with loathing.
"It's no use, Stark. We heard you
| say she killed herself. We were stand
| ing outside the door, both of US, and
| got it from your own lips"
Until this moment the man had
| stood ON his own feet, but now he
began to sag, seeing which Poleon
| supported him to the bed, where he
sank weakly, collapsing in every joint
| and muscle
Its a job" he snarled. You put
this up, you three, and came here to
| gang me-" An unnatural shudder con
vulsed him as his wounds bit at him
and then he fared up viciously. But
I'll beat you all. I've got the girl.
|