Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1916-10-21

followed lie sprang forward in his
chair but met the CLINT of u pistol IL
the hand Of the special ascent
And YOU oh. See" SAID tins
cashier. recovering himself The
bookkeeper WAS not bookAccr.r att
er all"
Il am an agent Of "a. dcparlmeu,
Of justice. said Gard You are uu
der arrest
The tai! figure OF the cashier had
risen from its char 10 the travelling
bag he chung instucJiycIy The stu.
alton seemed entirely ia tho control OF
the special agent with gun drawn and
the retreat cut of Yet. like fash.
the cashier turned the knob Of the
door that led out upon the rear pla,.
form OF the observation car the yun
Of the special agent spit forth fame.
but whether he had intended Ia bring
down his man or not he vas afcrward
quite unable TO recall.
But with a leap he Vas after and
! upon the fugitive He realized the IN
tent Of the cashier TO throw himself
from the train to end ali IN suicide,
lie saw The travelling bag getting Dee.
Yond his reach. II was the last tuI.s
that would have appealed to h.m Il,
stand idly 10y while such incidents
We're taxing place.
The two men grappled a new rur
/ pose flashed into The mind Of the
cashier Here was he given AT uneA
pected opportunity for freedom Only
the special agent stood IN his way. Il
he could but drop this louuEsler Over
the rail suicide would be uunecessary
a new purpose came into his tall
1.-THE form. 1t was 10 be put 80 the
task Of fighting for ITS own prescrya
ton
And such a setting for a fight The
( clamor of the train beat into the
( blood Of the contestants like In, al.
plause of an arena The swish OF the
platform as the express dashed
through the darkness al seventy miles
an hour made the ordinary strategy O,
| hattie uncertain. Beyond the narrow
rail that skirted this platform upon
which their fight was staged death
waited eXpeCtant on three sides There
were now no weapons and the contest
ants went back 10 the primal la E
tooth and fang grapple for existence
as might two frenzied bears al bay
The cashier was the larger man anC
| one who had always kept in condition
through gymnasium work. The spe
| ciai agent was lither and younger
/ The larger man was determined that
! he would thrust the smaller over the
/ rail and fling him from the train. He
! fought his way to the edge of the
| platform. forcing his antagonist further
and further over il, hammering him
down By the sheer superiority Of
weight and strength
But all the time the special agent
! was playing TO his own advantage lie
was getting low beneath the guard OF
| the cashier His arms had found an
| iron lock beneath his antagonists
coat and about his waist He felt that
| this hold could not be broken and
/ that a time would come when the
/ strength of the larger man Vould
wane. He could afford TO wait
| 1t was but a swish of the train that
gave him the slight advantage ne
sought in taking the aggressive. II
swayed the tall form of his enemy as
it lowered above him a little back
ward. This put the spine in a position
where it could not Immediately resis
strong pressure. Already he haC
felt give in the body muscles tina
meant the first approach of weakness
Like a flash his head was on the tai
mans chest, all his strength was il
his arms, and he was administering
that treatment known in his youth as
the Indian hug Slowly he overcamT
| his antagonist, bent him back. anC
they came tumbliDg among the chairs
| of the observation platform
From the fall came new grip 10
the advantage of the special agent. AS
they went down he flung his legs
| around his antagonist, and was able
to get the wrestlers scissors" abou,
his waist, thus applying pressure
where there was already exhaustion
and allowing his legs, which were rest
ed. to bear the brunt.
Thus were they locked when the
| brakeman came TO the rear and found
them. But the battle was already near
its end. For the fash of moment
the cashier rallied and acted. In that
! moment his hands seized and flung
from the train the grip with its pre-
| cious burden, Then he sank into
! Inconsistencies.
Billy Gard had ridden back TO the
section of the road where the travelling
bag had gone overheard, and had wait
ed for the coming of daylight to search
| for it. In the gray dawn he walked
down the track and met an Irish sec
ton man. who had already picked it
up.
Il see you have found my satcbel."
said Gard. accosting him.
Your satchel it may be-" said the
Irishman, but you will have to be aft
er tellin' me what's in it by way of
Identification"
Nothing much beside half million