Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-01-14
PHIuPSTEELE
SaaeRgAlNOanwEsThO hON1EDPOuCE
L JAMES OLIVER CURwOOD
Author Of The Danger Tail lhellonor Of theBt SwwAe.
Copyright 1911, The Bosss- Merrill cs,panr
a

He was filled with the craze OF
fight now and it found vent in yell |
of defiance as he spurred on toward
the outlaws. They we're not going to
run. They were waiting for him. He
caught the CLEAN of the hot sun on
their revolvers, and saw that they
meant business as they swung lit
tie apart to divide his fire.
At one hundred yards Philip still
held his gun at his side; at sixty he
pulled in his mare, f1attened along
her neck like an Indian, his pistol
arm swinging free between her ears.
1t was one Of the cleverest fighting
tricks of the service, and he made
the movement as the guns of the
others leaped before their faces.
Two shots rang over his head, so
close that they would have swept him
from the saddle If he had been erect.
In another moment the rock-bound
chasm echoed with the steady roar
of the three revolvers. In front Of
the flaming end of his own gun Philip
saw the outlaw on the right pitch
forward in his saddle and fall to the
ground.
He sent his last shot at the man
on the left and drew his second gun.
Before he could fire again his mare
gave tremendous lunge forward and
stumbled upon her knees, and with
| gasp Of horror Philip felt the saddle
girth slip as he swung to free him
SELF
In the few terrible seconds that
followed Philip was conscious of two
things-that death was very near
and that Billinger was a moment too
late. Less than ten PAGES away the
outlaw was deliberately taking aim
at him, while his own pistol arm was
pinned under the weight of his body.
For a breath he ceased to struggle,
looking up in frozen calmness at the
man whose finger was already crook
ed to fire.
When shot suddenly rang out, It
passed through him in lightning
flash that 1t was the shot intended
for him. But he saw no movement
IN the outlaws arm; no smoke from
his gun. For a moment the man sat
rigid and stiff in his saddle. Then his
arm dropped His revolver fell with
clatter among the stones. He slip
ped sidewise with low groan and
tumbled limp and lifeless almost at
Philips feet.
Billinger-Billinger-
The words came in a sob Of Joy
from Philips lips. Billinger had
come in time-just in time, He
struggled so that he could turn his
head and look down the chasm Yes,
there was Billinger--a hundred yards
away, hunched over his saddle Bill
linger, with his broken leg, his mag.
nificent courage, his
With wild cry Philip jerked him.
self free. Good God. it was not Bill
linger! 1t was Isobel! She had
slipped from the saddle-he saw her
as she ttottered few steps among
, the rocks and then sank down among
, them.
With his pistol still in his hand he
, ran back to where Billinger's horse
: was standing. The girl was crumpled
, against the side of boulder, with
her head In her arms-and she was
: crying. In an instant he was beside
, her, and all that he had ever dream
, ed of, all that he had ever hoped for
burst from his lips as he caught her
, and held her close against his breast
. Yet he never could have told what
I he said Only he knew that her arm,
, We're clasped about his neck, and
that as she pressed her face against
him, she sobbed over and over again
n something about the old days at Lac
Bain-and that she loved him. loved
y him! Then his eyes turned I'D the
n chasm, and what he saw there made
n him bend low behind the boulder ant
g brought strange thrill into his
n voice.
n You will stay here-a little WHILE
a he whispered, running his finger.
a through her shining hair. There wa.
tone Of gentle command in hi.
n words as he placed her against tn,
rock
q 81 must go back for few minutes
!, There is no danger-now"
n He stopped and picked up the car
o. bine which had fallen from her hand
There was one cartridge still in tn,
n breech. Replacing his revolver II
, it's holster he rose above the rocks
r. ready to swing the rife to his shoul
o. der.
n UP where the outlaws lay, a maj
was standing In the trail. He wa
> making no effort to conceal himself
y and did not see Philip until he wa
"a within nifty PAGES of him. Even the
W he did not show surprise. Apparent
! ly he was unarmed, and Philip drop
n ped the muzzle of his caTbine n
q The man motioned him to advance
n standing with a spread hand restin
10 on either hip. He was hatless an
"a coatless., rIis hair was long. I'll