Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1915-03-26

get nrmcr purchase, and then grasped
for him through the darkness. My
hand came In contact with n shoulder;
then grlpped n mass OF long hair. lie
gave vent to a sudden cry, startled. al.
most inhuman In it's %wlldness. strug-
Cling backward 80 quickly my other
hand closed or air. But ! held hard to
what | had. dragged on 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. lie was n man, a white
man. for he wore a rough coat, and his
face was covered with a growth OF
~straggly. coarse whlskers. Enemy or
friend ! could not be sure, nor did
ind 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. | could not locate the
other. lie was lying on his side, with
right arm underneath. Fearful OF q
weapon, ! let the fellow gouge ut my
throat with long ape.like fingers,
while struggled %hercely to expose the
hidden hand. II Il proved empty |
knew | could handle tho man; that |
possessed the strength to draw him to
me, TO crush him into subsection with.
In tho wise OF my arms. Stralnlng
every muscle | could bring into play,
| succeeded In forcing him over onto
his face. But he was a cat. wiry, full
Of tricks. In some n he twirled
his arm out OF my grip. There was a
fash OF reddish yellow fame soaring
across my eyes. al awful report. like
an explosion In my stunned ears.
Where the bullet went ! will never
know, but I raw the mans face leap
out at me from tho darkness-just an
instant OF reflection, as though thrown
against a screen by some fash Of light
tho unmlstakable 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
%revcalment, tho hate In his eyes
changed to fear, to uncomfortable
| panic; his lips gave vent to n wild cry,
an exclamation in mongrel French,
and. before ! could stiffen In resistance,
or o from my wi 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 " undoing, Halt stunned
as was by the blow, | heard him
spring to his feet, the dull crash OF his
head as he struck the hardwood slat
OF the low roof, and then the thud oil
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. NJ,
head reeled. the blood from this new
cut trlckling down my cheek. The ne
gro lay motlonless In the darkness;
could not even distinguish his breath
Ing, although ! hestlated. listening In
tently. half fearing some trick.
What had frightened the fellow so
what had brought that look Of lnsan,
terror into his eyes? II was as II h,
stared at a ghost. the very sight o
which had crazod him. ! mastered m.
own nerves. and crept forward alonI
tine passage, feeling blindly In advanc
with one o%utsiretched hand, until
came IN contact with the mans ngur,
with cllnched teeth, / touched tn
coarse hair with my hngers, then IN
F.U.L..I NIX. naul WaNutnaA aAs..
warmth, yet the feeling was not IA.
ural--it seemed l~ifeiess. For tho II
slant this appeared impossible. VIII!
he did Il himself, he crashed HIS ow
skull against the slab. Yet | could nc
make the affair seem real. or probable
Aud a negrol l had seen few OF Ia
race, but had always been told the
we're OF thick skull; but II this ma
was actually dead. his head must hay
been smashed like an egg-shell. An
II wns-l found tho cash a momoi
later, tho jagged edge OF bone. III
fellow was dead. stone dead; thei
was no heat 10 his heart, no throb
his pulse. Still dazcd by the disco
!. cry, | ran my fingers along the roI
4 overhead. hoping to find somethir
y there which would account for Il
mystery. No FIAT surface could ev'
. have jabbed that wound. All Re
1.-THE sharp point OF a stake protru
d ing between the logs. The poor fello
$ had struck that with sufficient force
A penetrate the brain.
e / conquered my adherence, al
= searched him, finding tobacco, a kni
. an ugly weapon-hint and steel.
q few colns, and some powder and ri