Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-09-08

Anord some degree OF shelter. III you
will rest here, in the shadow of these
trees, | will soon discover whether it
has inmates or not"
She followed me in silence across
the road to the spot designated, but as
I turned to leave her seated upon the
grass, and well protected from prying
eyes, she hurried quickly after me,
and in her agitation so far forgot her.
self as to touch my sleeve with her
hand.
"Oh, please do not leave me here
alone. | am not naturally timid, yet
everything is so gloomy cannot stand
it. Let me go with you, if you must
go!"
Most assuredly you shall if you de-
sire" / returned heartily.
There appeared before us dim, lit
tle-used path leading in among the
trees, and following it's cratic curves
We were soon before the cabin, which
grew even more uninviting as we
drew near. AS | paused a moment be-
fore the closed door, in order that
might listen for any possible sound
within, | could hear her quick breath
ing, as though the terror of the mo-
ment had driven all else from her
mind. The wooden latch yielded
readily enough to my pressure, and
pushing wide open the door, which
cgeaked slightly upon it's rusty hinges,
] stepped across the puncheon TIRES
hold onto the hard earthen floor. There
was no window visible, and the slight
reflection of moonlight which crept
in through the doorway scarcely re-
vealed the nature of that dark inter-
ior. | could dimly perceive what be-
lieved to be table directly in front of
me, while certain other indistinct and
Ill defined shadows might be chairs
pushed back against the wall. At least
this room was without occupants; yet
it was with every sense alert that
entered, pressing slowly past the table
toward where | felt the fireplace
would naturally be- knowing that my
companion was yet with me, her hand
clutching my arm.
oh" she cried sharply in terror,
what was that?"
1t was something certainly dead
ened, muffled, shutting sound directly
in our front, followed by strange
noise of scraping, as if with dull
knife on wood.
Wait here | said sternly. Prob
ably it is nothing more dangerous
than a rat"
l felt my way carefully around the
table. a revolver ready in my hand.
There was nothing to be found there
nothing, indeed, in the room; for
from my new position | could look
backward and distinguish in the moon
light the details of that simple,
squalid interior. | ran my hands
along the rough logs of the further
wall Ay! here was a break, doubt.
less a door; and cropping along the
crack l found the latch.
There was no longer any noise
! audible and | drew the door inward,
never dreaming of danger. Suddenly,
with fierce, wild spring out of the
| dark, a huge body hurled itself di.
| headlong impetus that | went back.
| ward as if shot, crashing against the
table, then to the floor, dropping my
| weapon as | fell. There was no noise,
| no sound. while for an instant, with
strength of sheer desperation, | held
back the swapping jaws that breathed
! hot fire into my very face With a
bound backward of its great body the
| beast jerked free from my grip, and
| the next instant had sunk its dripping
| tangs, deep and hard, into the flesh
| of my shoulder. AS the intense pain
shot through me, my right hand,
| driven with all the force | could mus
ter, caught the monster once, twice,
full in the throat, but tighter and
tighter those clinched jaws locked,
until 1t seemed as If every bone be-
tween them must be ground to pow.
der. Even as l grasped the lower
| Jaw, seeking vainly to wrench it
loose, l heard the girl scream in sud.
den alright.
Quick" I 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
a foot of my face, smuggling my fore.
head; then followed a deafening
port, and the huge brute sprang back
ward with a snarl of pain, his teet
clicking together like cogs of steel.
Then he stiffened and fell prone
across me, dead, inert weight, pin.
ming me breathless to the floor.
For the moment l could do no more