The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-17

back Of the case. and closed Il upon
the folded message.
Then drawing back his arm. he
breathed . silent prayer to the god Of
all true lovers, and cast It from him
with all his might-with such force
that 1t almost unseated him at the end
Of the swing. But nothing less would
have served to bridge that yawning
chasm.
And the watch new straight and
true. squarely through the lighted win
dow and to the further wall.
At that very instant Of his exultation
over an obstacle overcome. he heard .
sound behind him Of heavy breathing.
The assassin had come that close
upon his prey when Alan turned and
discovered his peril.
The same moonbeam which had
aided Alan In the composition of his
message struck across the others face.
and showed it like . hideous Chinese
mask Of deadly hatred. with its eye,
balls glazing and its lips drawn back
from the naked blade gripped between
Its teeth-a stiletto nothing short OF q
foot in length.
With q sharp, startled movement,
Alan swung himself bodily about, so
that, seated again aetride the girder,
he faced the assassin who sat up,
straddling the girder, his feet hooked
beneath 1t a stiletto poised in his
right hand to strike.
But even now Alan was in little or
no better case than before. II he faced
| the thug, he faced him with no arms
other than his bare hands. He had not
even a pen-knife in his pockets.
With a low cry of desperation Alan
snatched of his hat, soft and shape
less felt affair. and flung 1t squarely in
the fellows face.
Before he could recover-before,
that is, 1t dropped away and cleared
his vision, Alan had bent forward and
grasped the wrist Of the hand that
held the knife.
He snatched simultaneously at the
other hand, but it eluded him.
Alan had this advantage. as long az
the knife might not strike-that his
right arm was free, while the assassin
had only his left. With this he strove
persistently to reach his knife-hand
and possess himself Of the weapon
AS persistently Alan foiled his purpose
| -, o~1lv, :, <ho lyptfo h ~ <ou,o,l IT..
and swinging 1t far out to one side. Al
the same time he struck repeatedly
with his clenched right fist at the 9th
er's face. His blows did little dam
age beyond disconcerting the other
but this proved . very considerabl,
factor IN the duel. In the end, they
served together with that steady, re
sistless downward and outward drag
to break the grip Of the mans locked
legs.
Abruptly he pitched forward on hii
face along the girder, kicking wildly
grasping at the air. The stiletto fell
from an instinctively relaxed grasp
and disappeared. And before Alar
could release his hold, or ease tn
strain upon the right arm Of the %
sassin. this last had slipped bodil!
from the girder and hung helpless IL
space, dangling at the end Of Alan
arm-with no more than the grip o
Ave fingers between him and death.
The shock of that unpresaged turf
brought Alan forward and nat on hi
stomach. And the strain on his LEI
!. arm was terrific. He doubted II b
{ could maintain 1t for another minute
Nor was there any reason why b
4 should retain It. The end he had d.
signed for his victim was merely hi
just desert.
And yet Alan could not let him 90.
Thus the battle began anew-bu
+ now 1t was battle with . man hal
crazed and struggling 90 madly tbs
}, he well-nigh frustrated the efforts {
t his rescuer.
In the upshot the assassin lay like
Q limp rag across the girder. head an
: arms dangling on one side. legs an
Q feet on the other, spent with his te
8 rife exertions and physically sick wit
+ terror.
And in this state Alan left him: b
q had done enough; let the man shi
y for himself from this time on.
CHAPTER XIV.