Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1912-03-22

SWayed, checked for the moment, held
fast by sudden overpowering dread
glanced aside. My companion was
Brennan, hatless, bis deep-set eyes
afiame, his coat torn off. his shirt
ripped open to the waist. his bare
breast red with blood.
mo shootin', damn vel" shouted a
voice, hoarsely. mo shootin'; want
that Reb allve!"
Through the swirling smoke | rec
ognized the malicious face of Red
Lowrie as he pushed his way to the
front. To me it was ike personal
challenge to combat.
Rush them!" | muttered into BrenI
mans ear. 'Hurl them back Bit and
dodge under into the next room"
never waited to ascertain IL he
heard me. With one fierce spring
struck their stunned line, and my
iron bar swept clear space as 1t
crashed re1horselessly into them. The
next instant Lowrie and | were seem
ingly alone and fronting each other.
wild cat enraged by pain looks as
he did when he leaped to meet me.
Hate, deadly, relentless, glared in his
eyes. and with yell of exuitation he
swung up his long rife and struck
savagely at my head with the stock.
caught 1t partially on my barrel,
breaking It's full force, and even as 1t
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 cloyen in twain.
% Now for 1t, Wayne," shouted Bren-
nan. Back with you'll"
With dive went under the piano.
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
while"
In our terrible need for haste, and
amid the thick, swirling smoke fill
ing that inner room almost to suffo-
cation, I grasped the woman CHANGING
to be nearest me, without knowing
at that moment who she was. AL
ready the rifle-butts were splintering
the light wood behind us into slaves,
and l hastily dragged my dazed COM
panion forward. The others were in
advance, and we b. oped our way like
blind persons out into the hall BY
rare good fortune it was yet unoc-
cupiedb and as we took the few hur-
ried Steps toward the foot of the
stairs III 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 fny brain.
At that moment the mob, discover
ing our direction of escape, damned
both doorways and surged forth howl
ing into the hail.
"Up!" | cried, forcing her forward.
up with you; quick!"
l paused a scant second to pluck a
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 incarnate 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, so
long as they refuse to fire"
1t was scene to abide long with a
mana horrible nightmare, never to
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. l caught one quick glance at
the fair face l loved-my sweet lady
of the Notwithstanding indeed, it
might prove the last on earth, and
knew her eyes were upon me. Then,
olioH6SI VI nedII ludu ever IOr the
coming struggle, fronted that scene
| below
| Through the rising haze of smoke
looked down into angry faces, I'M
kempt Boards and branished weapons.
The baffled rascals' poured out upon
us from both doors, crowding into the
| narrow space, cursing, threatening,
thirsting for revenge. Yet they were
seemingly leaderless. and the boldest
among them paused at the foot of the
stairs. They had already felt our
arms. had tested our steel, and knew
we'll that grim death awaited their
| advance
But they could not pause there long
the ever increasing rush of those
behind pressed the earlier arrivals
steadily forward. Grim necessity fur
nished courage naturally lacking,
and suddenly. giving vent to fierce
shout, they were hurled upward, seek
ing to crush us at whatever sacrifice.
by sheer force of numbers. We met
them with the point, in the good old
Roman way, thrusting home remorse-
lessly, fighting with silent contempt