Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-12

"AIl right: you've got the upper
| hand" said the man through lips that
| had gone white. Drawing his weapon
| from beneath his vest he presented 1t
TO the officer, butt foremost hammer
underneath. The cylinder reposed nat
urally in the palm of his hand, and the
| tip of his forefnger was thrust
through the trigger guard.
| Burrell lowered the barrel of his re.
volVer and put out his left hand for
| the others weapon Suddenly the
mans wrist ierked, the soldier saw
blue flicker of sunlight on the steel as
Il whirled. saw the arm OF poioop Do
ret fling itself across the bar with the
speed of striking serpent, heard a
smash of breaking glass, felt the shock
of q conclusion and the patter of
some liquid in his face Then he saw
the mans revolver on the floor half
| way across the room, saw fragments
Of glass with it and saw the fellow
step backward, snatching at the fin
gers of his right hand. A smell of
powder smoke and rank whisky was in
the air.
| There are times when mans hand
will act more swiftly than his tongue
| Napoleon Doret had seen the manner
Of the strangers surrender of his gun
and, realizing what ii meant, had act
ed. At the very instant of the fellows
treachery Doret struck with his bottle
! just in time to knock the weapon from
his hand, but not in time to prevent it's
discharge. The bullet was lodged in
the wall foot from where Gale stood.
Aiming a sweeping downward blow
with his Colt, Burrell clipped the Skag-
way man just above the ear, and he
reeled. Then as he fell the officer
struck wickedly again at his oppo-
nents skull, but Doret seized him by
| the arm.
"Ba gar, don't kill i'm twice!'
Burrell wrenched his arm free and
turned on Doret a face that remained
long in the Frenchmans memory.
face sufused with fury and convulsed
like that Of a sprinter at the finish of
race. The two men stared at each
other over the fallen figure for brief
moment until the soldier gained mas
terry of himself and sheathed his weap-
on, when Poleon smiled.
II spoil a quart of good w'iskee on
you. OATS wort five dollar"
The lieutenant wiped the liquor from
his face.
"Quick work, Doret," he said. "I
owe you one.'
Gales face was hidden as he bent
over the PROSTATE man, lingering a
long and ragged cut which laid the
fellows scalp open from back of the
ear to the temple, but he mumbled
something unintelligible.
SIS he hurt badly?"
''No; you Clipped him too low" said
the trader. 81 told you he was bad"
They revived the man, then bound
up his injury hastily, and as the steam
er cast of they led him to the bank
and passed his gripsacks to roust-
about. He said no word as be walked
unsteady UP the plank, but turned
and stared Indignantly at them from
the deck. Then as the craft swung
outward into the stream he grinned
through the trickle of blood that stole
down from beneath his wide hat and
cried:
I'D like to introduce myself for
I'm coming back to winter with you,
lieutenant! My name is Runnion."
And until the steamer was hidden be-
hind the bend below they saw him
standing there gazing back at them
tixedly.
AS Burrell left the two men at the
store he gave his hand frankly to the
French Canadian and said, while his
cheeks flushed:
Il want to thank you for saving me
from my own awkwardness."
Doret became even more embarrass-
ed than the lieutenant at this show of
gratitude and grunted churlishly. But
when the young man had gone he
turned to Gale, who had watched them
silently and said:
Hes a nice young Teller, ole man.
Sapre! Wen he's mad his eye got so
red lax my ondershirt.''
R,,t tha fro dar mazda NO rap]v