Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-30


ca, and, brushing me aside, made after
ner. l caught him by the skirts OF his
iVhB, loose coat, but, with a deNterous
tWlst he had left II IN my grasp. Yet
Ine check. momentary though IL was, en-
apled her TO slip through the door OF
tnet room which had once been Donalds,
and' before he could reach t. l stood
upcn the threshold. He regarded me for
moment beneath his hat brim, and
seemed undecided how to act
MY good fellow" said he at last, IT
VIII buy your cottage of you-for to-
night-name your price"
shook my head. Hereupon he drew
a thiek purse from his pocket and tossed
u, chinking, to my feet.
There are two hundred guineas, bump
KIN. maybe more-pick them up,and--go,"
ana turning, he flung open the door,
opediently stopped and, taking up the
purse, rolled Il In the coat which I still
held, and tossed both out OF the cottage.
Sir said 1, "be so very obliging as
10 follow your property"
Abr he murmured, very pretty on
my soulr' And, in that same moment,
mis- knuckles caught me fairly between
the eyes and he was upon me swift and
nerce, and 1.-THE as a panther.
l remember the CLINT of his eyes and
the flash of his barred teeth, now to one
side OF me, now to the other, as we
swayed to and fro, overtuning the
chairs and crashing into unseen obsta-
cles. In that dim and narrow place
small chance was there for feint or
parry; II was blind, brutal work, nerce,
ana grim, and silent Once he staggered
and fell heavily, carrying the table
crashing with him. and / saw him wipe
blood from his face as he rose; and once
| was beaten to my knees, but was up
before he could reach me again, though
hno Ia
round and round. and the floor heaved
oddly beneath my feet.
Then, suddenly, hands were upon my
throat, and l could feel the hot pant of
his breath In my face, breath that Kissed
and whistled between clnched teeth.
Desperately 1 strove to break his hold.
to tear his hands asunder, and could not;
only the fingers frightened and frightened.
Up and down the room we staggered
grim and voiceless-out through the open
door-out into the whirling blackness of
the storm. And there, amid the tenn
pest, lashed by driving rain and deaf
ened by the roaring rush of wind, we
tought-as our savage forefathers may
have done, breast to breast, and knee to
knee-stubborn and wild and merciless-
life.
1 beat him with my fists, but his head
was down between his arms: 1 tore at
his wrists, but he gripped my throat the
ughteri and now we were down, rolling
upon the sodden grass, and now we were
up, stumbling and slipping but ever the
gripping fingers sank the deeper, choking
the strength and life out of me. My
eye stared up into a heaven streaked with
blood and fire, there was the taste OF
sulphur IN my mouth. my arms grew
weak and nerveless, and the roar of wind
seemed thousand times more loud.
G0raa, 4, ~,
US by the feet, we tottered, swayed help
lessly and plunged down together But
as we fell, the deadly. gripping fingers
Slackened for moment and in that mo-
ment had broken Free and rolling clear,
stumbled up to my feet Yet even then
was still encountered, and, STOPPING
down, found the skirts of the overcoat
twisted tightly about my foot and an
he' Now as / loosed It, 1 inwardly
blessed that tattered garment, for it
seemed that to it / owed my life.
50 l STOOD painting, and waited for the
end. 1 remember a blind cropping in the
dark, wild hurly-burly Of random blows,
sudden sharp pain in my right hand
a groan, and / was standing with the
swish of the rain about me and the moan
ing of the winds in the woods beyond.
HOW long remained thus 1 cannot tell
Tor l was as one in a dream, but the cool
rain upoL my face refreshed me, and the
strong, clean wind in my nostrils was
wonderfully grateful. Presently, rising
my arm stiffly, l brushed the wet hair
from my eyes and stared around me into
the pitchy darkness In quest OF my op-
ponent.
Where are your" said ! at last, and
this was the first word uttered during
the struggles where are you?"
Receiving no answer, l advanced eau
tiously dor 1t was, as I have said, black
nd
thing yielding with my foot.
"Come-get up!' said l. STOPPING to lay
a hand upon him, "get up, l say" But
he never moved; he was lying upon his
face, and, as 1 raised his head, my fin
gers encountered a smooth round stone
buried In the grass, and the touch OF
that stone thrilled me from head to foot
with sudden dread. Hastily l tore open
waistcoat and shirt and pressed my hand
above his heart. In that one moment 1
lived an age of narrowing suspense, then
breathed a sigh of relief and rising, took
him beneath the arms and began to half
drag, half carry him toward the cottage
/ had proceeded thus but some dozen
yards or so when, during a momentary
lull in the storm, l thought 1 heard a
faint HALO" and looking about, saw a
swinkling light that lowered to and fro
coming and going, yet growing brighter
each moment. Sitting down my burden,
therefore, holloWed my hands about my
mouth and shouted.
This way!' called; this way!"'
'Be that you. sir?" cried a mans voice
at no great distance.
This way!" / called again, this wayl"
The words seemed to reassure the fellow,
for the light advanced once more, and
as he came up / made him. out to be a
position by his dress. and the light he
carried was the lantborn of a chaise.
"Why-siri' he began, looking me up
and down, by the light OF his Ianthorn,
strike me lucky II I'd ha' knowed vel
you looks as if-oh. Lordp'
What is III" said /. wipinR the rain
from my eyes again. The Positions an
swer was to lower his lanthorn toward
the face OF him who lay on the ground
between us and point.
Now, looking where he pointed, I
started suddenly backwards. and shivered,
with a strange stirring Of the flesh
For saw a pale face with a streak Of
blood upon the cheek-there was blood
upon my own; a face framed in laak
hair. thick and black-as was my own;
a pale, aquiline face, with a prominent
nose. and long, cleft chin-even as my
own. So. as / stood looking down upon
this face. my breath caught and my
flesh crept, for indeed. 1 might have been
looking into a mirror-the face was the
face OF myself