The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1911-12-16

and use !t-but Tor Gods sake Keep
down; don't let the brute zee yh
She must have hehiG. tut tEere was
no response. slthSlgc her crying
! ceased. ye. my own struggle 10 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 vivid flash OF flame within
a foot Of my face. smuggling my fore
head; then followed a deafenlng re-
port, and the huge brute sprans back
ward with snarl OF pain. his tee1h
clicking together like cogs OF steel.
Then he stiffened and fell prone
across me. a dead. inert weight. pin
ming me GREATNESS to the floor.
For the moment could dc no more
than lie there helpless, gasping Tor
breath, scarce conscious even OF my
deliverance Then, as sufficient
strength returned for action, | rolled
and lifting myself by aid of the wall
aTainst which my head rested. looked
about. Two broken chairs overturned
upon the floor, and the shapeless,
huddled body of my late assallant.
alone spoke of the violence OF that
deadly struggle; but the cabin was
vet full of smoke, and ! could per-
ceive the figure Of the girl leaning
against the frame of the open door.
the revolver still graspeC in her hand.
Her posture was that of frightened
deer as her 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 a fright
eLed 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?"
mot seriously. l 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.
~ IA
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 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 1t was
your shot that saved me. You are
brat, girl
Her overtaxed nerves gave way at
my words. and knew she was crying
softly The sobbing wa in her voice
as she strove to speak.
"Oh, no, am not; you do not
guess how great 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 1t 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 t. be done at
once to stanch it's flow, before weak
ness should render me equally useless
do you think you could build
fire on the hearth yonder?" | asked
Il am afraid ! am hardly capable OF
helping you as yet: but we must
have light in this gloomy old hole.
or it is bound to craze us both Take
those broken chairs II you find moth
ing better"
She instantly did as ] babe her.
moving here and there about the room
until she gathered together the ma