The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1912-08-24

breathing IaDOred with the nerceneSS
of the fighting. Both our swords tasted
blood. he slicing my forearm, pierre
Ing his shoulder. yet neither wound
suf1ced to bring any cessation of ef-
fort. We were mad now with the fever
of it, and struggling to kill. painting
| fiercely. our faces flushed, the perspir-
ation dripping from our bodies. our
swords darting swiftly back and
forth. He was my match, and more,
and, had We been permitted to go on
to the end. would have worn me down
by sheer strength. Suddenly, above
the clash of steel, came the sound Of
voices; our blades were struck up, and
the dark forms Of men pressed in be-
tween US.
| Stop 1t. you hotheads!" some one
commanded gruffly. Hold your man.
Tolston. until get at the reason for
| this fighting. Who are you? Oh.
Grant! What's the trouble now? The
old thing, eh?"
| had no desire to walt his answer.
| confident that Grant was sufficiently
angry to blurt out everything he knew.
They were all facing his way. actu-
| ated by the recognition. Breathless
still. yet quick to seize the one and
only chance left. l grabbed up my
jacket from the grass. and sprang into
the darkness. l had gained hundred
feet before those behind grasped the
meaning Of my unexpected flight. and
then the tumult Of voices only sent
me flying faster, realizing the pursuit.
The only open passage led directly
toward the river. and l raced through
the black night down the slope as
though all the flends Of hell were aft
er me. heard shouts. oaths. but
there was no firing. and was far
| enough ahead to be invisible by the
time I attained the bank. An open
barge lay there. mere black smudge.
and l stumbled blindly across this.
dropping silently over Its side into the
| water 1t was not thought, but breath
! less inability to attempt more, which
kept me there, clinging to slat on
| the side Of the barge. SO completely
submerged in the river. as to be in
visible from above. Swearing fierce
ly, my pursuers stormed over the
barge, swinging their swords along
the edges to be sure was not there.
One blade pricked me slightly. but l
held on, sinking yet deeper into the
stream. l could see the dim outline
of heads peering over, but was not dis
covered. The same gruR voice which
had interrupted the duel broke through
| the noise:
II tell you he turned to the left;
saw him plainly enough. What did
you cay the fellows name was.
Grant?"
How do know? He called himself
Fortesque."
Sure; the same one Carter was
sent out hunting after. Well. he
lodged down there among those coal
sheds This is the only way he could
have disappeared SO suddenly. Come
on, all of you, except Moore and Car
| taret, and We'll beat the shore"
heard them scramble across to the
| bank, but there were sounds also
proving the guards left behind were
still on the deck above me. Then one
of the fellows sat down on the edge Of
the barge. his feet dangling within a
| few inches of my head.
Might as well take it easy. Bill" he
said lazily. They're like to be an
| hour layin' hands on the lad. an all
we got to do is see he don't fox back
this way. Got any tobacco. mate ?"
The other must have produced the
necessary weed, for there was scrap
ing of flint and steel. CLEAN of fire
| slnting on the water, and then the
p,ingent odor waited to me in puff OF
smoke. With one hand, unbuckled
| nv sword belt, letting 1t, sword and
! all, sink silently into the river.
must cross to the opposite bank some-
how, and would have to dispense with
the weapon. Inch by inch. my fingers
| gripping the narrow slat to which I
chung. l worked slowly toward the
| stern of the barge, making not 80
| much as a ripple in the water. and
keeping we'll hidden below the bulge
of the side The voices above droned
| along in conversation, OF which 1
caught a few words. e
"Who was he? You mean the lad
| they're after down yonder? Oh. mind
now. YOU came up later after we'd
started the chase. Holy Mother. I
don't know much myself. now l come
to think Of 1t. He looked like a Brit
isher what I saw OF him, an he wal
f1ghtin' with a Captain Of Rangers.
lCrnnt was the name: maybe you know
the man?-behind one Of the stands :
They'll never get him." returned
the other solemnly.
Because it's my notion he swun