Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-10-07
CHAPTER XVIII.


heads were to be seen just above the
flooring of the porch, where the invaders
had climbed by means Of my trellises, but
the owners of those heads seemed very 1T
tie disposed to come farther. They mad
no reserves to cover their attack from the
the protection of the dunes, and Dupon-
ceau was proclaiming that he would oe-
head the first rascal that raised himself
another inch. At the ring OF deermlna-
ton in his voice, no wonder that no one
came on. / had barely reached his side,
however, when a man flung a handful OF
sand full In Duponceau's face, temporar-
lily binding him, at the same moment
that another leaped up the trellis and
vaulted over the balcony rail. l met him
face to face, and recognized the surly chap
who had spied on me that first day from
the woods. He had not gained his balance
when l fell upon him, hoping to topple
him back against the rail. Instead, his
Feet shot out from under him. and, clutch
ing at me, he fell fat on the balcony. he
lay there painting second, his arms about
my back. while l tried to get my hands
upon his chest to push myself up. Sud
denly his grip tightened, and, with lurch,
he rolled me over, so that now | lay un-
deneath and pinned by his arms. Then
he tried my game, and, hands on my chest,
sought to drive the breath from my body.
He was heavy, and | felt myself going,
going, drawing each breath harder, see
ing red more DULY, when with jerk the
pressure lightened, and looked up to see
Charles, his brawny arms about the man.
shoulders, slowly but inexorably throwing
him over on his side His hands relaxed,
there was groan, and the man lay fiat on
his back, Charles securely kneeling on
him while struggled to my feet
Meantime Duponceau, his sight clear
again, had held the balcony, and more,
had driven the men down the supports by
striking with his sword over the edge.
Throw him over" he commanded us
now, and quickly we had the hapless crea-
ture up on the railing and had dropped
him into the sand below. He fell with a
soft thud, and we turned to other mat
| ters.
1t was high time. Bafled at the bal
cony, the enemy were already trying to
batter In the front door. At the first
sounds below-stairs, Rodney had drawn
my dinner-tabe and the heavy oak settle
across the door, and fortified it with every
heavy weight indoors. Now the batter
ing began, and Duponceau and Charles
joined him while with an axe | found in
my den l hacked away the trellises that
climbed to the balcony. Verify the fight
was hot when l would cut down my own
property.
Crash-crash A heavy log struck the
front door and ripped away a panel. The
log was withdrawn, there was shout,
and again came the thudding crash, splin-
| tering the upper part of the door and car
rying clear in to the settle. l was mad.
mad through and through at the thought
OF these desperadoes, and glance at
Charles face told me that he was the same.
We built up the barricade, we tried to
stay 1t against the next assault, but this
time the upper part Of the door burst in
ward, and we were almost face TO face
with the foe. Rodney and crammed the
dining-room table into place, and threw
the chairs behind 1t. | cared little now
If all the furniture were beaten into
splinters
Now" cried Duponceau. There was
a boom, crash, and the batterinp-rom
shot half way into the house. AS it
cleaved away the door, Duponceau leaped
high on to the wreck Of the table and laid
about him with his sword. l saw one
man fall sideways, and the rest, startled
into fear by this man with eyes ablaze,
stand, hesitate, and fall back,
Come on" he cried. There Ia room
tor two abreast" But no one came on
the passage through that open doorway
looked dubious.
hurried conference, a quick disnerssI
and then the enemy was back, armed With
clubs cut from the woods. Now they came
on with a rush, and the battle Joined.
Pistols were discarded; 1t was to be
light OF our old rusty swords, and sticks
found by Charles, and the staffs Of tho
pines. Two men leaped into the breach
and fell on Duponceau, another slipned In
and fell to Rodney's care, while Cha rlas
and l gripped our weapons and waitad
Duponceau thrust at one of his assail.
ants and with jerk threw the other
across the broken table almost ar NV
feet. A blow aimed at nv head fe,l ~
Charles staff, and he had the man reel;no
in a corner with a sudden thrust of HE
arm. Another man followed, and he and
l laid about each other, blow falling On
sword, and sword on pine-wood. We bsd
the advantage in that we stood On 49,
chairs, the table, and what was left -
the door, and the enemy had to snrina
against our entrenched position. Faco 20
face with US, toppling over the hroksu
furniture, their ardor passed. and er.d
ually we drove them back, pressing ,bar,
out OF the doorway harder than tbev IA
pressed in. The man opposite ma s,n,ad
savage blow, / lodged, and. 0rannlia.
with him, threw him with all NV strsn ~
across the table. From there Dunoncssn
rolled him out against his comradsa All
this time Monsieur Pierre had fouob, M
a demon, but now one man fell ao,in..
his legs, while another struck him , eIano
ing blow across the shoulders. and beforo
ne could gain his footing he fell from tbs
table back Into the room, striking - sa.,a.s ..e
the settle. He lay there still Rcd
was In his place, and 1 jumped bss,d.
him. oesioe
Now" cried, and a moment l.,..
we mad what was left of the enemy sss..