Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1911-12-01

tighter those clinched jaws locked.
until 1t seemed as II every bone be-
tween them must be ground to pow
der. Even as | grasped the lower
jaw. seeking vafnly to wrench 1t
loose, heard the girl scream IN sud
den alright
Quick" gasped desperately.
Get my revolver there on the floor,
and use it-but for Gods sake keep
down; don't let the brute see you.
She must have heard, but there was
no response, although her crying
ceased Yet my own struggle to rid
myself OF that crushing weight and
those iron jaws drowned all other
sounds, drove all other thoughts from
me. Every muscle of my body began
to weaken from the strain, my eyes
blurred, faintness swept over me.
felt my brain Keeling. when there
burst a vivid flash of flame within
foot of my face, smuggling my fore
head; then followed deafening re
port, and the huge brute sprang back
ward with snarl of pain, his teeth
clicking together like cogs OF steel
Then he stiffened and fell prone
across me, dead inert weight, pin
ming me GREATNESS to the floor.
For the moment could dc no more
than lie there helpless, gasping for
breath, scarce conscious even OF my
deliverance Then, as sufficient
strength returned for action. ! rolled
the body of the dead brute off me.
and lifting myself by aid of the wall
against which my head rested. looked
about Two broken chairs overturned
upon the floor. and the shapeless.
huddled body of my late assailant,
alone spoke of the violence of that
deadly struggle; but the cabin was
yet full of smoke, and | could per-
ceive the figure of the girl leaning
against the frame Of the open door,
the revolver still graspeG in her hand.
Her posture was that of frightened
deer as Ter terror-filled eyes sought
the dark interior.
1T is SAFELY over" said weakly.
for my breath yet came to me in
Casps. THE brute Is dead"
| could scarcely mark her coming
across the narrow streak OF moon
light, moving toward me as fright
ened bird might, startled at every
thing, and passing as far from the
lifeless mass on the floor as the small
space would allow AS she bent
anxiously over me her face was so N
shadow that | could distinguish moth
ing of it's features.
What is it? Are you indeed severe
ly hurt?"
Not seriously. think. yet have
lost some blood, and am in great pain
There is brandy in the inner pocket
of my jacket, but am unable to
move my arm in order to reach it.
Would you endeavor to draw the flask
out?"
felt her bend over me. her soft
breath coming almost in sobs upon my
lace, as with trembling fingers she
undid the buttons of my troopers
, jacket and extracted the small flat
flask l had been thoughtful enough
to store away there,
The fiery liquid seemed to put new
blood into my veins and with 1t there
returned all my old-time audacity.
with that intense hopefulness in which
| had been trained by years of war
and self-reliance.
Il trust you realize" said, that
| am neither thoughtless nor migrate
full Years of war service make one
careless of life, but | know it was
your shot that saved me You are a
brase girl"
Her overtaxed nerves gave way at
my words. and | knew she was crying
as she strove tC speak.
"Oh, no, am not you do not
guess how great a coward | am
scarcely knew what | was dong when
| fired That horrid thing-what was
it?"
"a huge mastiff imagine; one of
the largest of his breed But what
ever it may have been, the beast
is dead, and we have nothing more
to fear from him
Yet tremble So" she confessed,
almost Historically. Every shadow
frightens me-"
realized that no amount of con-
versation would quiet her nerves so
effectively as some positive action; be.
sides, felt the hot blood constantly
trickling down my arm, and realized
that something needed be done at
once to stanch it's flow. before weak
ness should render me equally useless.
do you think you could build a
fire on the hearth yonder?" | asked
Il am afraid | am hardly capable of
helping you as yet; but we must
have ligh. In this gloomy old hole.
or it is bound to craze us both Take
those broken chairs If you find moth
ing better
| She instantly did as | babe her.
moving here and there about the room
F, until she gathered together the ma
terials necessary but keeping care
fully away from where the dead dog
lay, until in brief space of time the
welcome flame leaped up in the wide
| III .xlo