Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-05-02
CHAPTER XII.
Tho Flaht in the Dark.

no right IN the OaFk.
Had the room been filled with men
Keith could have restrained himself
no longer. Whatever her past might
be, this woman appealed to him
strangely; he could not believe evil
Of her; he would have died If need
be in her defense But as 1t was, the
ugly boast of Hawley gave confidence
in the final outcome Of this struggle in
the dark, even a possibility of escape
for them all. The gambler, assured Of
being confronted merely by frail
and not prescriptions woman, had
ventured there alone; had stationed
his men beyond sound; had doubtless
instructed them to ignore any noise
Of struggle which they might overhear
within. 1t was these very arrange
ments for evil which now afforded OPP
portunity, and Keith crept forward,
alert and ready, his teeth clenched,
his hands bare for contest Even al
though he surprised his antagonist, 1t
was going to- be a fight for life; he
knew BLACK Bart" broad shouldered,
quick as cat, accustomed to every
form of physical exercise, desperate
and tricky: using either knife or gun
recklessly. Yet it was now or never
for all Of thesl, and the plainsman felt
no mercy, experienced no reluctance.
He reached the table. and straight
ened up, Silent, expectant For an N
slant there was no further sound; no
evidence Of movement In the room.
Hawley. puzzled by the silence, was
listening intently In an endeavor to
thus locate the girl through some
rustling, some slight motion. A knife.
knocked from the table. perhaps, as
she slipped softly past. fell Gathering
to the floor, and the gambler leaped
instantly forward. Keith's grip closed
like iron on his cropping arm, while he
shot one fist out toward where the
mans head should be. The blow
glanced, yet drove the fellow back
ward, stumbling against the table, and
Keith closed In, graphing for the
throat The other, startled by the
unexpected attack, and scarcely real
izing even yet the nature of his an
tagonist struggled blindly to escape
the fingers clawing at him, and flung
one hand down to the knife in his
belt Warned by the movement, the
assailant drove his head into the gam
bler's chest, sending him crashing to
the floor, falling himself heavily upon
the PROSTATE body. Hawley gave ut
terance to one cry half throttled in
his throat, and then the two grappled
hercely, so interlocked together as to
make weapons useless. Whoever tho
assailant might be, the gambler was
fully aware by now that he was being
crushed in the grasp Of fighting man.
and exerted every wrestlers trick,
every ounce Of strength. to break free.
Twice he struggled to his knees. only
to be crowded backward by relentless
power; once he hurled Keith side
ways, but the plainsman's muscles
stiffened into steel, and he gradually
regained his position. Neither dared
release grip In order to strike a
blow; neither had sufficient breath
left with which to utter sound They
were fighting for life, silently, des-
perately, like wild beasts, with no
thought but to injure the other. The
gamblers teeth sank into Keith's arm,
and the latter in return damned the
mans head back onto the puncheon
floor vic1ously. Precipitation streamed
from their bodies, their fingers clutch
ing, their limbs wrapped together,
their muscles strained to the utmost.
Keith had forgotten the girl the ne
gro, everything, dominated by the one
| passion to conquer. He was swept by
storm Of hatred, desire to kill. In
their fierce struggle the two had roll
ed close to the fife place, and In the
dull glow of the dying embers, he
could perceive a faint outline Of the
mans face. The sight added fame
to his mad passion, yet he could do
nothing except to cling to him, TAB.
bing his fingers into the strainins
throat.