Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-04-11
dodge under into the aeIt ROOM

heard me. With one fierce spring
struck their stunned line. and my
iron bar swept a clear space as 1t
crashed r~emorselessly into them. The
next instant Lowrie and ! were seem
ingly alone and fronting each other.
A wild cat enraged by pain looks as
he did when he leaped to meet me.
Hate. deadly, relentless. glared in his
eyes. and with a yell Of exultation he
swung up his long rifle and struck
savagely at my head with the stock
l caught 1t partially on my barrel.
breaking its full force, and even as II
descended upon my shoulder, jabbed
the muzzle hard into his leering face.
| With a snarl of pain he dropped his
gun and grappled with me, but as
his fingers closed about my throat.
something swirled down through the
maze, and the maddened brute stag
gered back, his arms uplifted, his red
beard cloven in twain.
Nov for it, Wayne!" shouted Bren-
man.. Back with you'll"
With a dive | went under the piano,
l heard the sliding doors shut behind
US, and almost with the sound was
again upon my feet.
ITO the stairs!" l painted. "Bren-
nan, take the women to the stairs;
those fellows are not in the hallway
yet, and we can hold them there a
while"
In our terrible need for haste. and
amid the thick, swirling smoke fill
ing that inner room almost to suffo
| cation, / grasped the woman CHANGING
to be nearest me-, without knowing
at that moment who she was. Al
ready the rife-butts were splintering
the light wood behind us into slaves,
and l hastily dragged my dazeds com
panion forward. The others were In
advance, and we CROPPED our way like
blind persons out into the hall. By
rare good. fortune it was yet unoc-
cupied, and as we took the few hur-
ried steps toward the foot of the
stairs l found my arm was encircling
Celia Minor. The depth of despair
within her dark eyes and the speech
less anguish of her white face, swept
for an instant the fierce rage Of battle
from my brain.
At that moment the mob, discover
ing our direction of escape, jammed
both doorways and surged forth howl
ing into the hall.
"Up!" l cried, forcing her forward.
"Up with you; quick!"
paused a scant second to pluck q
saber from beside a dead soldier on
the floor, and then with a spring up
the intervening steps, faced about at
Brennan's side on the first landing.
I'VE ought to leave our mark on
those i~ncarnate devils here" he said
grimly, wiping his red blade on the
carpet.
UNLESS they reach the second story
from without, and take us in the
rear" / answered, 1--WE ought to hold
back the whole cowardly crew, sc
long as they refuse to fire."
1t wa a scene to abide long with a
man-a horrible nightmare, never tc
be forgotten. Above us, protected
somewhat by the abrupt curve Of the
wide staircase, crouched the women
Two were sobbing, their heads buried
in their hands, but Maria and Mrs
Brennan sat white of face and dry
eyed. I caught one quick glance a
the fair face / loved-my sweet lad!
of the Notwithstanding, indeed, 1
might prove the last on earth, an(
knew her eyes were upon me. Then
stronger of heart than ever for thu
coming struggle, I fronted that scent
below.
Through the, rising haze Of smok,
| looked down into angry faces, I'm
kempt boards, and branished weapons
The baf1ed rascals poured out upol
us from both doors, crowding into tn
narrow space, cursing, threatening
thirsting for revenge. Yet they wer
seemingly leaderless, and the bodies
among them paused at the foot Of tn
stairs. They had already felt on
arms, had tested our steel, and knee
we'll that grim death awaited thei
advance.
But they could not pause there lon
the ever increasing rush Of thos
a behind pressed the earlier arrival
r steadily forward. Grim necessity flu
nished a courage naturally lackini
b and suddenly, giving vent to a fierc
d shout, they were hurled upward. seel
I. ing to crush US at whatever sacriic
IS by sheer force of numbers. We MI
IS them with the point, In the good o.
IT Roman way, thrusting home remors
e lessly, fighting with silent conteml
for them which must have been ma
a dening. l even heard Brennan laug
1t as he pierced a huge rufian throut
the shoulder and hurled him bac
ward; but at that moment saw era
ID knock aside a levelled gun and pre-
le his way to the front Of the seethil
al mass to assume control. His face W
infamed, his eyes bloodshot; drink hi
n changed him into a very demon.
Id ITO BE C~ONTINUED)