The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-03-19

tenant knew Doret must have entered,
too, though he could not see him, for
the lantern shed a sicl.ly gloom over
the chaos He was locked desperately
+. with John Gale, VINO 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 tenaci0usly
the soldier chung AS it was, Gale car
| ried the lieutenant with him and
struck over his head Mt STARK.
Poleon had leaped into the room at
Burrells heels to receive the impact Of
heavy body hurled backward into his
arms as IL by some irresistible force
He seized 1t and tore 1t away from the
thing that pressed after and bore down
upon it with the ferocity Of 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 1t rip away and felt
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 It 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 minute,
| and yet what terrible havoc had been
wrought! The gambler was drenched
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
ST got you. Bennett he cried
1
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 awayv he shouted. But the
words sounded foolishly fiat and
name
Then Stark spoke intelligibly for the
first time.
"Arrest MIN! You've got to believe
/ what l told you now, Burrell." He
poured forth 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 wife!'
"Dat's ID lier' said the French
man.
"No, 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, lieutenantT'
/ At this final desperate effort to- fix
| the crime upon his rival Burrell turn
ed on him with loathing.
Its 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
i Hill W Tie Dcu, WuCTc uc
sank weakly. collapsing in every joint
| and muscle.
"It's 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 fiared up viciOusly But
I'll beat you ALL I've got the girl.
I've got her.
/ "Neciaw cried Burrell, suddenly re-
Numbering. for this ARRAY had driven
all else from his mind.
/ Stark crouched on the edge Of his
| bunk, a CHASTITY gray grinning thing
One weapon still remained to him, and
! he used 1t.
Eyes, I've got my daughter"
"Where is sheY' demanded the trad
er hoarsely. where's my girlY'
The gambler chuckled. An agony
seized him till he hiccoughed and stran-
gled. Then, as the spell passed, he
| laughed again.