The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-07-16

body and weapon, an exhausted man
Of slender build pitted against an
armed giant; yet against his gross
adversary his finer fiber might prove
as steel against iron.
A moment he fumbled helplessly, as
the Chinaman crushed him back with
sheer weight. then. freeing his right
arm. he swung for the yellow stomach.
The short. hooked Jolt loosened the
giants hold on the knife, which fell
to the floor and was kicked out of
reach in the struggle that succeeded,
and Thornton attempted to follow up
the blow by Selling his antagonist
with a trick hold.
In vain! His reach was inadequate
against the others huge bulk, and he
realized that his only chance for life
was to keep from being thrown and
his neck or back broken.
1t was pitch dark in the room, and
as the combatants fought desperately
the furniture and paraphernalia were
overturned and smashed, and the rich
samples of ore were scattered under
foot.
Suddenly Thornton was aware that
beneath the Chinaman's blouse there
was a broad band of some substance
as hard as steel. His hands had again
and again come into contact with IT.,
and now it flashed over him that his
assailant wore a shirt of mail, which
extended around his body beneath his
arms to his stomach.
Back and forth, across the ROOF n
against the shelved- walls, the unequal
fight continued, till Thornton felt him.
self growing desperately weak, when
to the crushing horror of the giant as
sassin in his shirt of mail was added
the knowledge that the Chinaman had
recovered the dirk.
Howard Thornton felt that things
were pretty much the devils way,
when suddenly there came to him one
wild, uplifting hope, and a young girls
white hand seemed to fall caressing-
ly against his cheek.
His body was being crushed against
the principal piece of machinery in the
| room-a large electric magnet of great
power. He had had it installed but
the week before for experimental
work in separating gold from iron ore.
If only he could reach the switch and
turn on the power. His free hand
fumbled among the keys. He sobbed
as he felt his heart swell like a sponge
with accommodating blood. There was
a ring of metal against metal, a fear
full howl from the Chinaman, and
Thornton staggered forward headlong,
released from the giants terrible hold.
After an age of padding about in
the dark, like a spent swimmer under
water, he found the switch board and
flooded the pm with light.
Over in one corner was the China
man. He was squirming like a spitted
cockchafer on the broad plate of the
big electric magnet. The machine had
attracted the steel on his shirt of mail,
and now gripped it with titanic power,
holding the. murderous giant in a
grasp that left him as helpless to es-
cape as an armless man in his grave,
Thornton picked up a chair and
seating himself, studied the astonish.
ingly cheerful situation. After a lit,
tie while he began to talk. First he
complimented himself upon being a
fool in going about unarmed, then he
told Chew Lung certain facts which
the latter believed were unknown ever
to his three-bellied god. Finally he
turned off the light and left the assay
room. followed down the long hill to
his sleeping quarters by the bowls OF
the giant.
The events of the succeeding day
were known only to an enthusiastic
and select party of law-loving miners,
but Howard Thornton's successful
management of the Golden Gulch
claims, and his subsequent marriage
to Her, are matters familiar to the
many friends Of the fine young fel
JnU