The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1912-04-12
CHAPTER X.-(Continued.)

Coast decided to make himself q
present of whatever benefit might be
held to 1nhere in the doubt. He
gained the rea entrance in a bound.
with another found himself charging
down the embankment, in whose
t~reacherous composition Of loose sand
n gravel he struggled momentarily
II vainly for a footing. Then he fell
n rolled ingloriously, accompanied
by a cloud of dirt, rubbish and small
stones. At the bottom of a descent OF
some thirty feet he picked himself
up, unhurt but shaken. just as a Sec
n bullet ploughed up the sand two
PAGES to one side.
There was no longer any question
as to the identity OF the target. Coast
permitted himself a single, fleeing,
upward glance, caught q cinemato-
graphic glimpse of the Chinaman-
like some huge, ungainly bird in his
loose, Tapping garments, descending
the bank-and turned and ran head.
long.
Presently, some distance ahead, the
shadowy proportions of the beached
catboat took shape through the mist.
For some reason Coast hailed it with
q sob Of hope: Heaven alone knows
what manner of hope the sight of it
held out to his dazed perceptions. He
had merely a bewildered notion that
II only he could hold out until he
reached the boat it would afford him
some sort of sheltcr-Or else that he
might stumble across some monde
script weapon of defence-a broken
oar-anything. .
Somehow he did manage to gain the
little vessel, and. with his pursuer
pounding on not fifteen feet in the
rear, doubled like a rabbit round its
stern. lie had a fugitive impression,
as he passed. of a curious something
crouching there; but with no time for
recognition. or indeed for thought, he
shot on. of a sudden painfully alive
to the fact that he mad beer mistaken,
that there was no refuge for him
Then he pulled up on the sound of
q heavy fall behind him-a duh crash
followed by a short, stifled cry n a
sharp crack as of two stones coming
together.
He looked back in time to see the
short, starved figure of Appleyard
Strengthening up from the body of the
Ch1naman. to see the little mans half
friendly. half-apologetic smile, and to
hear him say In a tone of quiet reas-
All right. old top. He's
down and three times out"
I~ncredulous and half exhausted.
Coast staggered back to the boat.
The Chinaman lay like some mon
strous effigy of man. inert, sprawling,
with a sagging jaw, shut eyes and a
ragged, bleeding wound in the mid.
die Of his forehead. A bit of drift.
wood-part Of the bleached
branch Of a small tree-was twisted
between his feet: a formidably jagged
stone in ~Appleyard's hand eked out
the story of his downfall.
1T wasn't anything" the little man
explained with his timid, makeshtft
smile, noting Coasts expression. 81
saw you coming-heard the shots to
begin with-and made preparation &C
cordin'. Lucky you CHANGED this
way. Otherwise . . ."
He shrugged and cast away the
stone that had served so famously
Wed better be making tracks before
the others came down on u.s." he sug
gested calmly.
"You-you've killed him?" Coas,
painted.
"Um-m-no: sorry to say" Apple
yard moved to n side and picked
up the revolver which had fallen from
the Chinaman's hand. Unfortunately
Just stunned. . . Mebbe." he
added. Frightening mom~entarily, It'll
turn out conclusion of the brain. but
-he made a dubious ~mouth-"l'n
afraid not Those brutes are tough