The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1912-02-15

voice, hoarsely. mo shOotin'; | want
that Reb alivel"
Through the swirling smoke rec
ognized the malicious face OF Red
Lowrie as he pushed his way to the
front. To me II was IKE personal
challenge to combat
Rush theml" muttered into Bren-
mans ear. "Hurl them back a bit, and
dodge under into the next ROOM"
I 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 remorselessly into them. The
next instant Lowrie and we're 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 yell of exultation he
swung up his long rife and struck
savagely at my head with the stock.
caught It partially on my barrel,
breaking its 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 cloven in twain.
Now for 1t, Wayne!" shouted Bren.
nan. Back with you!"
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!" | 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, l grasped the woman CHANGING
to be nearest me, without knowing
at that moment who she was. Al
ready the rife-butts we're splintering
the light wood behind us into slaves
and l hastily dragged my dazed com
panion forward. The others we're in
advance, and we s.oped our way like
blind persons out into the hall. BY
rare good fortune II was yet unoc.
cupied, and as we took the few hur.
ried steps toward the foot OF the
stairs | found my arm was encirclinR
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!" / cried, forcing her forward
up with you: quick!"
paused scant second to pluck
saber from beside a dead soldier on
the floor, and then with a spring up
the intervening steps, faced about al
Brennans side on the first landing.
1--WE 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, I'VE 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 / loved-my sweet lady
OF the Nor,h-thinking, indeed, II
might prove the last on earth. and
knew her eyes were upon me. Then,
stronger OF heart than ever for the
coming struggle, fronted that scene
below
Through the rising haze OF smoke
! looked down into angry faces, un-
kempt boards. and branished weapons.
The bafiied 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
well 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 a 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
for them which must have been mad
dening. ! even heard Brennan laugh,
as he pierced a huge rufiian through
the CbOnldap apd hnrIod hin,