Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1914-07-02

still blocking the passage? There was
nothing for it then but to come to hand
grips. But the fellow, whoever he
might be-whether white or Indian
was doubtless armed, while | was
weaponless. To get him right was a
desperate chance, yet a chance which
must be taken. Fortunately | had him
located, his heavy breathing being I'M
mistakable, and evidence also that the
man remained W of my pres
ence. shifted one foot forward to
get firmer purchase, and then grasped
for him through the darkness. My
hand anne in contact with a shoulder;
then gripped a mass Of long hair. He
gave ven to a sudden cry, startled, al
most inhuman in its wildness, strug-
Cling backward so quickly my other
hand closed on air. But | held hard to
what l had, dragged off my balance.
feeling his fingers after my throat.
There was no room for us to do other
wise than claw at each other. After
that first cry neither of us uttered a
sound, but / closed in on him, getting a
stronger grip. He was a man, a white
man, for he wore a rough coat, and his
face was covered with a growth Of
straggly, coarse whiskers. Enemy or
friend l could not be sure, o did |
find opportunity to discover. We both
fought like beasts, resorting to teeth
and nails.
His one object was to wrench him
self loose, but my fortunate grip on
his hair foiled this effort. Yet both
his hands were free, the one %clutching
my throat; but, in those first breath
less seconds, l could not locate the
other. He al lying on his side, with
right arm underneath. Fearful Of a
weapon, l let the fellow gouge at my
throat with long ape-like fingers,
while ! struggled ~flercely to expose the
hidden hand. If it proved empty |
knew l could handle the man; that l
possessed the strength to draw him to
me, to crush him into subsection with
in the wise of my arms. Straining
every muscle ! could bring into play,
l succeeded in forcing him over onto
his face. But he was a cat, wiry, full
of tricks. In some manner he twirled
his arm out of my grip. There was a
flash of reddish yellow flame soaring
across my eyes, an awful report, like
IN explosion in my stunned ears.
Where the bullet went | will never
know, but | saw the mans lace leap
out at me from the darkness-just an
instant Of reflection, as though thrown
against a screen by some flash of light
the u~nmistakable face of a negro.
Yet startled as | was by this appari-
ton, his view of me had no less an ef-
feet. Even in that single instant of
revealment, the hate in his eyes
changed to fear, to uncomfortable
panic; his lips gave vent to a wild cry,
an exclamation in mongrel French,
and, before / could stiffen in resistance,
or recover from my own shock, the fell
low flung his pistol at me, and jerked
free. The flying weapon tore a cash
in my scalp, but his haste and fear
proved his W undoing. Half stunned
as | was by the blow, / heard him
spring to his feet, the dull crash of his
head as he struck the hardwood slab
of the low roof, and then the thud of
a body on the tunnel floor. In his
haste, his desperation, his strange
fright, he had forgotten where he was,
and attempted to spring erect. My
head reeled, the blood from this new
cut trickling down my cheek. The ne
gro lay motionless in the darkness; l
could not ever distinguish his breath
ing, although I hestiated, listening in
tently, half fearing some trick.
What had frightened the fellow SO?
What had brought that look 6f insane
terror into his eyes? 1t was as If he
stared at a ghost, the very sight of
which had crazed him. / mastered my
own nerves. and crept forward along
the passage, feeling blindly In advance
with one outstretched hand, until 1t
came in contact with the mans figure.
With clinched teeth. l touched the
coarse hair with my fingers; then the
forehead. The flesh retained some
warmth; yet the feeling was not nat
ural-it seemed lifeless. For the in
slant this appeared impossible. Why,
he did 1t himself; he crashed his own
skull against the slab. Yet | could not
make the affair seem real, or probable.
And a negro! l had seen few Of the
race, but had always been told they
were of thick skull; but II this la
was actually dead, his head must have