The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-07-23

tcssffssed From yesf<ydey,
Seeing all this, and feeling 1t, he
crawled steadily toward the sullen eye
that leered at him tauntingly He was
reaching for his knife to slash OF the
burning end when he was suddenly
folded In the embrace of a human go
rilla. Long arms gripped him like
bands OF steel Terrible fingers
clutched at his throat. A hairy face
was pressed against his own, and out
OF the monsters breast came fierce,
throaty snarl.
Now John knew what had become
OF Hoffman. This that had attacked
him was he. Instinctively, too, John
knew that he had to battle with
mailman. Months Of broodings over
wrongs, weeks OF horrid imaginings
while he nursed his secret plot: the
nervous strain under which for the
last four hours he had lurked about
the plant awaiting his opportunity.
and now the sudden approach Of an in
truder upon his fear-haunted soul at
the very moment when his design
seemed accomplished; all this had
completely turned Holtzman's head, SO
that John Martin found himself bat.
ting there in the narrow, dust-choked
place with a wild man endowed nv
his frenzy with almost superhuman
strength. And while they battled.
there sputtered few feet away the
curling coil OF death in one Of its most
horrible forms.
The instinct to silence lay strong
upon both. Neither uttered q sound
that could be heard outside the ear Of
the other. Hoffman struggled to beat
back his adversary and escape from
the deadly. Kissing thing few feet
away Martin fought with all his ter.
ribie determination to get past the
crazed man and extinguish the spark.
1t seemed an hour. day, year, since
1t had begun to burn. The mailman
gained In strength and ferocity. Johns
race was gashed by his nails. Just
now, too, Hoffman had set his teeth
In his shoulder, and locked his arm
about him In such way that Martin
found himself lying there within reach
OF the glowing fuse, his head not a
foot from the deadly cylinders, and
yet his hands bound to his sides by a
grip that seemed unbreakable.
He lay helpless for an instant. his
mind fascinated by the evil glare Of
the tiny serpent's eye. Strange specu-
lations came into his head. He won.
dered II he would hear or see the ex-
! plosion Of so much dynamite a foot
from his face, or II destruction would
/ come before sensation This odd con.
ceit leaped out OF his mind with the
i discovery that he could move his body
/ and drag the Germans with him, by
| pressing with his feet against the walls
and lifting forward with all his might
Hoffman could not hold him back and
hold his hands at the same time.
Martin lifted himself an inch nearer
the kissing serpent And then another
] lift, and another. The spark was at
1 his forehead, his eye. his nose-and
then, with superhuman effort, he
seized the glowing end in his teeth and
chewed it into an innocuous mass Of
pulp, smothering 1t in saliva
The spark was drowned. The union
was saved
For moment Martin lay inert, clos.
ing his eyes in an ecstasy of relief,
deaf even to the tide of curses that
Hoffman poured into his ear.
It was little group Of the inner
circle that counselled together at the
Molders' headquarters just before
dawn. Martin had walked unweary.
ingly through the night to get them
together, forcing the unwilling Holtz-
man to trail like dog at his heels.
McKichnie was there, and Kaufman.
both representing the Internationals.
The presidents Of the two unions, and
part Of the executive committee were
also present, the absolutely trusted
men, nine in all, besides Martin, grim,
white-eyed, and Hoffman, sitting
apart with bowed shoulders, his face
shrouded In sullen gloom.
Martin had Just finished telling them
in Jerky sentences the story Of the
night, McKichnie looked grave. Kauf.
man scowled darkly, and shot glance
at Hoffman.
Remember Los Angeles" said q
voice, hoarsely.
Yes" said another, "and the unions
got the blame for it, whoever did it."
II tell you" snapped McKichnie I'VE
owe 1t to ourselves to put an end to
dynamite, whoever uses tt
IF we don't put an end to dynamite,
dynamitell put an end to u.s. NUT.
tered Martin. This is a civilized
country"
Then he got up and started toward
/ HOFFMAN his teeth grating audfblv.