The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1911-10-27

I full in the throat, but tighter and
| tighter those clinched jaws locked.
until it seemed as II every bone be-
tween them must be ground to pow
der. Even as grasped the lower
jaw. seeking vainly 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
ne. Every muscle of my body began
to weaken from the strain. my eyes
blurred. faintness swept over me.
felt my brain reeling. when there
burst a vivid flash of flame within
foot Of my face. singeing my fore
head; then followed deafening re-
port, and the huge brute sprang back
ward with a 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 breathless to the floor
For the moment | could do no more
than lie there helpless, gaspng for
breath, scarce conscious even OF my
delverance. 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
CIsps. 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
9
anxiously over me her face was so N
shadow that | could distinguish moth
ing of its features.
What is 1t? 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
race, as with trembling fingers she
undid the buttons of my troopers
Jacket and extracted the small HAT
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.
II 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
brate girl.
Her overtaxed nerves gave way at
| my words, and | knew she was crying
softly. The sobbing was 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; Que 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 t. be done at
once to starch its flow. before weak
ness should render me equally useless
"Do you think you could build q
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 1t is bound to craze US both. Take
those broken chairs II you find moth.
ing better"
She instantly did as l bade her,
moving here and there about the room
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
| -oI~ov,a Flomo loa nod IN In tha viAo