Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-12-06

| AoA oNNoiANA, yCt ShSoGAS A~AN~ 80
poured Fagin's wolves, seeking trou
BILE. They were a wild. rough-lookins
lot, addressed, and dirty even in that
dim light. For an instant, congested
within the limits of the hallway, both
sides paused, staring at each other in
mutual surprise and hesitation. Then
| heard Jones below of command, and
Grants nasal voice profanely ordering
| them to come on. With US there re-
NAMED no choice; we must fight 1t
cut where we were, regardless of mum
| bers.
| Fire! you damned fools-fire!''
roared Jones, and there was crash
ing Of guns, the dense smoke swirling
between us. A Dragon at my right
went spraWling; another behind gave
vent to yell as he plunged head first
down the basement stairs. There was
the sound of splintering wood. Of
breaking glass. | felt the blood in my
veins leap to the fever Of it.
We were upon the fellows with a
rush. firing in their very faces, and
leaping madly at them. There was
little room between the walls, barely
/ space for a half-dozen to fight in,
shoulder to shoulder, but those be-
hind, eager to strike also, pressed up
| SO recklessly that we hurled them
back. To me it was all confusion, up
| roar, deadly fighting. / could think
Of nothing to right Or left, only OF the
struggling devils in my front. Faces,
| forms, came and vanished in the swirl
of SIN oke, brown gun-barrels whirled
before me, flashes of fire burned my
eyes, strange features, bearded, malig-
nant, glared at me-. | leaped straight
at them, striking fiercely. Once | saw
| Grant, and aimed blow at him. Then
he was gone, swallowed in the ruck.
Our mad onrush swept them back,
helpless, demoraliZed l stumbled over
I bodies, slipped in pools of blood. yet
kept my feet. Every muscle ached; |
was cut and pounded, yet drove into
the mass, shouting to those behind:
Come on, lads! Come on! We're
driving them!"
A yard, two yards, three-beyond
the door where the men had escaped
we won our way Then they could go
no further. Blocked, unable to retreat.
wedged helplessly against the far end
of the hall they turned like cornered
rats. could see nothing Of Jones.
but heard him, raging like a tiend
Nov, you ours, noW!" he stormed.
you cowardly scum-perhaps you'll
fight when you can't run! What are
you afraid of? There's only handful,
you can chew 'em up, if you will! Push
EN- back, there! Push 'em back!"
With a yell of rage, those crushed
against the wall hurtled forward, driv-
ing the others; men were lifted and
hurled at us; others gripped at our
| feet; by sheer force of numbers they
swept us backward 1t was hand to
hand, neither side having time to re
! load their weapons. The smoke rose,
permitting a view of the shambles.
There was a tangle of arms, tumble
of faces. They were maddened beasts,
desperate, revengeful. Hands clutched
] at us, gun butts were thrust into our
faces, the crush too dense to permit
of their being swung overhead My
| Dragons had their sabres out, and
stood to it like men, the steel blades
dripping as they tasted blood But
killing one only brought a new man to
the front. One does not see so much
as feel in such a tumble. Yet l knew
we were worsted, outnumbered. They
came at us like battering ram.
saw the sergeant shot through the
forehead; l saw Eric go down beneath
crushing stroke, and roll under my
feet. | stepped on bodies, fighting foI
my own life as never fought before
Somewhere | had gripped a gun out OF
dead fingers and swung it savagely
smashing the stock at the first blow
but retaining the. twisted iron. The
intensity of excitement seemed tt
voices, to notice faces. | heard Grant
yell safely in the rear; | heard Jones
roar, "To hell with EN-! To hell with
em!" Out of the murk of struggling
figures l made out his black beard
the CLEAN of yellow fangs, and leapeC
toward him, striking men down unit
I was able to swing at his head. He
went over like a stricken OK under &
butchers AK, knocking aside two mer
as he fell. 1t gave me chance tC
spring out of the melee.
ITO the stairs, men! The stairs!
| cried. I'VE can hold them there!'
| cannot describe now how we made
1t, but We did. | only know Tom anC
/ held the rear. sweeping circles Of
death with our whirling gun-barrels
falling back step by step as we fought
At last | felt the bottom stairs will
my foot, and heard voice shout:
Come up, sir! Well hold 'em nowl'
Then was above the heads of the
mob, gripping the rail, and sobbing fol
breath. There followed a moment:
wait, an instant of hesitancy. l begar
TO see and feel once more. Below ,ui
the hall was damned with men. 81
closely pressed together as to be al
most helpless. Blood streamed from
cut in ny forehead, nearly blindin.
me, but wiped it away. and took on
i glance at their angry upturned faces
and gained a glimpse of my OWE men
There were but six OF US, and one o