Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-17

/ spectful elbow. yet with certain air OF
| command. I fancicd that she seemed to
| hesitate, TO draw away. The passage was
! over within brief an instant that
could not be sure for even as they stood
there. she hesitant he with his sentence
unfinished, csy Of warning from De Netze
| settled the matter
The Russian, who had advanced n couple
| OF yards from the landing. came to a halt
a few PAGES ahead OF the rest OF the party.
! saw him throw his head back, sharply
with a click OF the teeth; at the same
time. and with a single alert gesture, he
swung his cane before him Eraspng 1t near
the head with his left hand There was
shrill shiver Of sound and q yard Of steel
cleaned where the stick had been.
But, quickly though he had acted-warned
in the first Instance by | know not what
iuStrct-he was vet mortally slow
simultaneously there was n rush Of feet
and | saw a shadowy form dart from the
brush and fastcn itself upon the Russian
moving with the Ceerity and with some
thing Of the ruthless fcrocity of an animal.
Indeed. aside from its bulk Judging alone
by the swiftness of the attack and the
pantherlke sureness Of it's spring the thing
might well have been cat of the jungle.
De Netze cried aloud staggering, borne
back by the impetus Of the assault with
incredible address he shortened his hold
upon the sword cane and used It as n
p'llldlu I SAW MS Wnlte mana rise ana
fall twice, burying the slim blade in the
back of the assassin The man chokcd-
dreadful, gurglng sound-and abruptly
fell away, dropping at length, a limp and
ghastly shape upon the frozen ground.
But hard upon his heels came others
four crouchng shadows hardly less i'm
piacahly intent than their fellow. Two made
for De Net2e the others darting toward
Won Holzborn.
The Russian, reelng, with his head droop-
ing forward between his shoulders, seeming
about to fall, rallied astonshnEly. He
brought his heels together. jerked UP his
chin. and caught the flash OF his eyes in
the starlight. I heard him cry out. once
only-the only word | believe, that the
man uttered from first to last OF the affair:
"Ah-h!"
It was like the cry OF n man wounded
nigh unto death who nevertheless, saw a
chance for retaliation. who was ready to
accept the battle against odds.
lie swung upon his left heel, advancing
his right foot sharply, lunEing with a
straight arm one of the assa ssins stepped
back upon the instant, thereby saving his
life for the moment.
The whole affair has passed before us
with dreamlike Illusion of unreality. My
self, | stood transfixed, aghast with the
suddenness and the uneXpectedness of the
attack 1t flashed through my mind that
we had been mistaken, that those whom
we nHu COnSluefeu Won ItOlEDOrnS allies
were his enemies; and they were even then
proving the truth of this surmlse
1t required Sevrance's word to rouse me
to action
by heaven!" heard him cry. That's
murder, Tralll !"
At once he sprang forward, drawing his
revolver, and firing as he ran. The man
nearest Won Holsborn paused in the mid
die of n leap, threw forward his hands, and
crumpled upon the earth.
An instant later there came two shots.
one sharp upon the other. The Germans
second assailant went down In n heap, and
l saw Won Holzborn himself drop re-
volver from his outstretched hand and fall
back cursng.
had already Jumped to the assistance
of De NetZe Won Holzborn could go hang
for all Of me. ran, 1 remember, awk-
wardly, fumbling with that Internal pistol.
The Russian was keeping the fellows at
bay with n rare and admirable address, his
sword point ringing him as with an i'm
pregnable wall of steel. They circled about
like twin wolves, long knives poised in their
hands, watching their opportunity to cut
in under his defense lie touched one lightly
on the shoulder. simultaneously l fired at
the other.
My shot flew wide. doubtless, and
feared to use the weapon again; | was then
close upon the fellow; he had jumped aside
at the shot and stood at pause in n direct
line with Monsieur de Netze and Julia
Tho following moment brought me within
jumping distance; he turned snarllng and
grapped. catching me about the waist and
putting his knife through the breast of my
coat; | was conscious of the kiss OF the
cold steel against my ribs
Just what happened In the next three
or four seconds / cannot recount very
clearly. l recall only that / heard the
roar of my revolver and saw the flash of
it, crimson and gold fire, before my eyes
The grip of the assassin relaxed lie
slumped back fingng out his arms blindly;
I saw distinctly that he had no face
The sight of my handwork sickened me.
De Netze was, at the time finishing his
antagonist. He lunged thrice, with skillful
precision, fighting as imperturbably as
though in bout with buttoned foils on a
gymnasium mat At the third thrust the
blade vanished-rammed to the hilt in the